You have to feel for Scott Parker. Reacting to a dismal defensive display against Arsenal on the opening day, he picked a new goalkeeper and reshuffled his back four to no great effect as Fulham’s defensive disasters continued this afternoon at Elland Road. The Londoners shipped four to Marcelo Bielsa’s men – with three of them the sort of gift-wrapped presents you’d associate more with Christmas than the start of a Premier League campaign – making their failure to sign a centre back during the summer all more the mystifying. Parker could console himself with the fact that his team turned a contest they looked well beyond them at 4-1 into a seven-goal thriller, but such naïve defending already looks worryingly reminiscent of Fulham’s 2018/2019 top flight campaign.
It took just six minutes for Leeds, seeking their first Premier League win in sixteen years, to go in front. A needlessly conceded corner was haplessly defended. Kenny Tete, brought in for a debut on the strength of his adventure from right back at Ipswich in midweek, lost his man, Harrsion Reed and Michael Hector made a hash of clearing Kalvin Phillips’ delivery and Helder Costa crashed an emphatic finish in off the crossbar. Even when the Whites had been giving a helping hand of their own, with another senseless tackle from Robin Koch affording Aleksandar Mitrovic the chance to equalise from the penalty spot, they pressed the self destruct button again. Joe Bryan, who had won Fulham’s penalty, pushed Patrick Bamford in the back and Mateusz Klich restored Leeds’ lead just when the visitors were becoming assured in possession and looking like they were getting on top.
Any words of encouragement Parker offered at the interval were swiftly rendered meaningless as Leeds ruthlessly exploited more amateurish defending to take a firm grip on the contest. Klich threaded a searching through ball between Hector and Tete for Bamford, whose measured finish was a mark of his new-found confidence after a brilliant goal at Anfield last week. Alphonse Areola shook his head mournfully, but worse was to come. Hector inexplicably stepped up to try and win a header on the halfway line and when he failed Bamford burst away from Odoi before rolling an inviting cut back that Costa clinically converted the edge of the box.
With more than half an hour to go, and Leeds leading 4-1, the prognosis looked bleak for Fulham. Parker shuffled his pack sending on Bobby Decordova-Reid and Neeskens Kebano and, to their great credit, his side remained both ambitious and determined. Nothing typified that more than the display of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, derided as an expensive flop during his last taste of Premier League and fresh from a fabulous season in Spain. Anguissa’s consistent winning of the ball in high areas unnerved Leeds throughout and he produced a peach of a pass to send Decordova-Reid through on goal, with the Jamaican forward firing a fine finish through Illan Meslier.
If that appeared to be just a consolation, alarm bells would have been ringing on the Leeds bench five minutes later. Ivan Cavaleiro and Tete combined well down the right before the Dutch international floated an enticing cross into the six-yard. Meslier came and got nowhere near it, with Mitrovic outjumping Liam Cooper to head home his second of the contest. From nowhere, Fulham were very much alive. Kebano almost capped an incredible comeback two minutes later when his low shot from the left surprised the Leeds goalkeeper and came back off the near post.
In contrast to the end-to-end stuff that came before, the denouement was frustrating tame for Fulham. They didn’t do enough to threaten a clearly nervous home side in the final ten minutes – but ultimately they were once again the architects of their own downfall. Parker spoke about the need to bring in centre backs during his pre-match press conference on Thursday, but how much damage will have been done by the time a signing is completed? Swapping Tim Ream for Odoi had little noticeable impact and, for as long as there is that fragility at the heart of Fulham’s defence, Parker’s success in overhauling the club’s mentality over the past year will be fatally undermined.
LEEDS UNITED (4-4-2): Meslier; Ayling, Dallas, Koch, Cooper; Phillips; Klich, Costa, Harrison; Bamford (Alioski 70), Roberts (Roberts 45). Subs (not used): Caprile, Struijk, Shackleton, Bogusz, Poveda.
BOOKED: Klich.
GOALS: Costa (6, 57), Klich (pen 41), Bamford (50).
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Areola; Tete, Bryan, Hector, Odoi; Reed (Lemina 70), Anguissa; Kamara (Kebano 58), Cavaleiro, Onomah (Decordova-Reid 58); Mitrovic. Subs (not used): Rodak, Ream, Cairney, Knockaert.
BOOKED: Tete, Mitrovic.
GOALS: Mitrovic (pen 34, 67), Decordova-Reid (62).
REFEREE: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).
VIDEO ASSISTANT REFEREE: Stuart Attwell (Nuneaton).
Another terrible defensive display. Hector looked way off the pace and generally had another poor game. Odoi good going forward but gets pulled out of position. Tete first match too early to judge. Why not try playing Bryan further and play Robinson at left back. Anguissa looked the best Fulham player and Bobby D- Reed when he came on was much better than in recent times. If we can put in a lot more decent crosses Mitro will bang them in. Right to leave Cairney out of this match. A felt sorry for Rodak. we need two more central defenders now before we are cut adrift from the rest of the division possibly with West Bromwich
I have also thought using Bryan left midfield with Robinson behind could be good or even using Joe like Sess as front left flank. Bring on the new centre backs asap!
Very bad defending Tete good going forward, but gap between him and Hector was a Joke. With wing backs going so far forward and Hector going walk about. felt sorry for Odio who was not great. If full backs gonna go so far forward we’re they look good must play 3 at back. Showed some fight to get back in it but it was a mess
I can’t believe we still haven’t got central defenders in what is Tony Khan doing surely he should know from our last time in the prem that our defence is useless, sort it out before we are cut adrift we also need another prolific striker to helpMitro
I don’t really know where to begin after that.
As you know, Dan, it’s utterly laughable that we haven’t addressed the centre back situation. None of them are good enough for the Premier League and any gameplan we devise seems destined to fail as a result. The errors are just basic now. Hector has looked shockingly poor. He should have cleared the corner and he comes an awful long way out of the defensive line on impulse to make a clearance.
Have to say Tete left us horribly exposed as well for the third and fourth goals. He may be great going forward but those mistakes cost us.
Feel a little bit for Rodak, too. Didn’t too a lot wrong against Arsenal and gets dropped.
The positives are that we actually made a game of it from 4-1 down when I was kicking things all around my flat. Anguissa was immense and Decordova-Reid, of whom I’ve been very critical, made a real difference as well.
Let’s hope we can turn it round for Aston Villa.
Agree with everyone. To have given Parker these defensive players and expect us to avoid relegation from the Premier League is ridiculous. TK hang your head in shame. This was obvious even in the Championship. We didn’t need the first 2 games to confirm. We all knew and we’re just stupid ‘supporters’. By the time bodies are in and settled we will have played a lot of the ‘weaker’ teams. Parker is just moving deck chairs around. For what it’s worth I agree Bryan should not be a defender. Try Robinson and see…but…honestly we don’t have 1 CB good enough and 2 unproven FBs (although they have potential)…
Untie the noose around your neck, put away the poison and forget suicide for a bit, we knew we were going to struggle we know we need centre backs, and they know it, no point in just getting somebody else’s cast off, the negatives are there for all to see.
BUT, when all hope was lost they found it within themselves to dig deep and pull two goals back and then hit the post, when did we last score 3 away !! Mitro now has double, Bdr who I had given up on now has a goal that should improve his game/confidence, if Anguissa should bother to get fit he will be a hell of a player, the other new boys will begin to fit in, all in all we have achieved exactly what we expected I.e nothing we lost the first two when last in the prem, we can improve, we will improve. Just keep the faith, it’s all part of being a Fulham fan, nothing comes easy any never will, relax enjoy what is going to be a very bumpy ride and enjoy the fact we are not trophy hunting myopic halfwits like some we could mention.
COYW.