Those relegation jitters are back again after Fulham folded at Stamford Bridge confirming everyone’s suspicions that Chelsea will claim another runaway Premiership title.
Chris Coleman was on robust form following the derby defeat. There have been whispers amongst some sections of the Fulham fanbase that it might be time to call an end to the Welshman’s tenure in the Craven Cottage dugout but the man himself was having none of it, taking expansively about his plans to reshape both his squad and his backroom staff come the summer as he looks to make the most of every possible advantage now that massive transfer fees seem to be a thing of the past. It was intriguing but will count for little if Fulham wilt in the final few matches of what remains a nervous fight against the drop that the club seems to have sleepwalked into.
To that end, Coleman’s selection dilemmas for the visit of Everton this weekend are considerable. It seems obvious that Steed Malbranque should come back into the midfield, adding the guile and creativity that the Whites have been missing for so long, but who might be sacrificed. It could well be Lee Clark who looked a little off the pace at Chelsea, whilst Tomasz Radzinski – although inconsistent for a while in a Fulham shirt – should be fired up to prove a point against his former employers.
Assuming Coleman has finally junked the 4-5-1 formation that has held Fulham’s attacking aspirations back for far too long this season, we might get another chance to see the McBride/John partnership, which periodically posed real problems for the champions’ elect, trouble the Toffees as well.
