Talk about a Blue Monday. There was an awful lot to like about the way Fulham went toe-to-toe with Manchester City this weekend, but there’s no escaping the feeling that the Whites could easily have come away with a point or more. Marco Silva’s game plan was astute. The benching of Emile Smith Rowe, one of his most gifted creators, could easily have been seen as a defensive move, but Sander Berge’s presence in the middle of the park allowed Andreas Pereira to occupy the sort of spaces the Brazilian played in last season. The utilisation of Adama Traore’s blistering pace was a masterstroke and, if the former Wolves winger, had finished any one of the three glorious chances that came his way at the Etihad then it could have paved the way for a famous Fulham win.
Traore will know better than anyone that he should have beaten Ederson at least once and made it an even more uncomfortable afternoon for the Eastlands regulars. The most glaring of his misses – from right in front of the net after more magnificent link up play between Pereira and a rejuvenated Raul Jimenez mere moments after the former’s fabulous opening goal – came at the worst possible time. It seemed easier to stroke Fulham into a barely believable two-goal lead than spoon a shot over the bar from six yards out and the Spaniard’s crestfallen reaction told you everything.
The two one-on-ones that went begging have attracted plenty of criticism. Credit must go to Ederson, who was alert off to the danger in sprinting off his line and getting in the eyeline of the forward. The first save was an instinctive one with his feet, whilst the second – a more conventional, smothering reaction block – seemed inevitable from my position in the away end, although that owes more to the fact that I’ve been present for all of Fulham’s fruitless trips to the blue half of Manchester. Traore could have taken it round the goalkeeper or opted for a little dink. The memory rather gnaws away at you – a horrible reminder of how near Fulham were to something special – largely because Silva’s side had played so well at the home of the champions.
But some of the scapegoating of Traore sits uneasily for me. For one thing, his blistering speed off the mark is the only reason those two glorious chances ever came into being. The acceleration away from Kyle Walker was wonderful – and astonished most inside the stadium as well as beyond – and the raw speed is probably part of the problem. Slowing down to finish in a controlled manner is easier said that done and he wasn’t trying to miss. Perhaps the words of encouragement from Pep Guardiola on the pitch after the final whistle as well as Silva’s own support in the days ahead will help him become more reliable in front of goal.
There’s also something to be said about the way Traore has emerged from nowhere as a regular starter and terroriser of Premier League full backs. Plenty of people scoffed when he arrived at Craven Cottage just over eleven months ago on a free transfer having been released by Wolves. He’d was a busted flush who would spend more time on the treatment table than on the pitch. He had no end product. He was even held up as an example of rushed recruitment done on the cheap. But for all the gags about baby oil or suggestions that Traore was made of glass, he’s made tremendous strides forward over the summer.
His fitness has improved to the point where he is Silva’s first choice right winger. That seemed fanciful even as early as July but the former La Masia graduate enjoyed an excellent pre-season – scoring a superb second goal to wrap up an impressive win over Hoffenheim in Germany – and began the campaign by getting in behind Manchester United at Old Trafford with encouraging frequency. His strength and sharpness are serious assets and give the Whites a different sort of outlet to Harry Wilson, whose most eye-catching cameos have come with Wales so far this season.
He finished fantastically at Portman Road when the Whites looked to letting a promising start wither away after Ipswich were inspired by Liam Delap’s outstanding individual goal and ran Eddie Howe’s unbeaten Newcastle United ragged only a week ago. Silva has already demonstrated what he can do by polishing up plenty of rough diamonds at Craven Cottage. He’s got some tune out of Traore already and, if the Spanish international still remains a work in progress, imagine how unplayable he’ll be once he’s mustered all the notes.
