This might rank as one of the most frustrating weekends since Fulham rejoined English football’s elite. The Whites’ narrow defeat against Chelsea was infuriating enough, but the outcome would have been hinted at by the history books and the complexion of a competitive contest was radically altered by Antonee Robinson’s rash challenge on the stroke of half time when Scott Parker’s side were having their best spell of the game. What made the derby reverse all the more galling was the fact that fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion and Brighton and Hove Albion had already picked up impressive away wins, leaving Fulham just a single point above Sam Allardyce’s new charges, four points from safety and five behind Albion.
How terminal that position is remains to be seen. It is important to acknowledge that in this, a season like no other, there is still plenty of football to be played. We are yet to hit the halfway point of the campaign – and Fulham, after weathering a coronavirus outbreak within their own squad, have at least one game in hand on all of the teams around them. The main reason for hope is that Parker’s side look unrecognisable from the callow outfit that was swatted aside so easily at the start of the season, having switched their shape and acquired a defensive diligence that is keeping them in games until the very end. Recent results, with determined draws against the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham, suggest that Fulham can compete against the division’s top sides, and Parker’s men have crucial clashes against both Brighton and West Brom to come before the month is out.
On the flip side, Fulham have only recorded two victories – already the wins against West Brom and Leicester seem a long time ago – and stringing wins together is the only way to mount a successful survival bid. The need for three points grows with every week, especially with our relegation rivals grabbing surprise triumphs here and there. Parker’s switch to three at the back might have made his previously leaky defence more solid but he has sacrificed some potency at the other end of the pitch. They have only scored three times in their last five league matches and are desperate for striking reinforcements, something only highlighted by Ivan Cavaleiro’s glaring miss against Chelsea.
So, as the conclusion to the January transfer window moves into sharper focus over the next fortnight, getting attackers in – arguably in time for those showdowns against the Albions – becomes pivotal to Fulham’s safety bid. Without high quality back up to an alarming out-of-form Aleksandar Mitrovic at the very least, Parker’s side will probably continue to fluff their lines in front of goal. Cavaleiro toils manfully up top but he’s far from a natural finisher or the nippy number nine that this system requires. The usual links to Dwight Gayle and Josh King have resurfaced in the last week, but we must hope that negotiations to land a forward are carrying on quietly behind the scenes.
It essentially comes down to how positive you feel. Is Fulham’s glass half full, or half empty? The optimists will point to Parker’s bravery in switching to five at the back and the fact that the best teams in the land have struggled to breach Fulham’s defence in the past few weeks. His achievement in knitting together an entirely new back three, as well as the masterstroke of deploying Bobby Decordova-Reid as a roving wing-back, certainly shouldn’t be understated. But goals win games and Fulham aren’t scoring enough of them. A gap has started to open up between the Whites and safety at just the wrong time – so if you are pessimistic in nature, the signs of another demotion from the top flight, are probably all already flashing. Parker is probably accruing a decade’s worth of managerial experience from his first job – but it will rank as one of the best achievements in top flight history should he guide the Whites to safety.
I think if you look at the games we have had, we have done really well. We’ve played Leicester, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea, Southampton.. all top half teams really and picked up some decent points. We have only lost 1 of those games. Really we should have beat Newcastle as well but for some shambolic refereeing we didn’t.
I’m defo the optimist because when we play teams around us in the bottom half we will be able to put our stamp on the game a little more and hopefully create a few more chances.
Still a long way to go and plenty of signs we are heading in the right direction!
I’m quietly optimistic, we are a totally different proposition to the team that started the season, a striker is a must though, if we do go down I hope we stick with Parker, as we have a young team and we need consistency
Sam Allardyce!!!!!
We are only one or two players short of having a very good team.
Our transformation since the start of the season has been great to see. Certain players have stepped up and we are now a formidable team to break down.
We can point to Parker choosing to opt for a back three as being a main contributory factor but let’s not forget that we have dramatically altered our playing philosophy. The same philosophy that Parker argued was the way forward time and time again last season-the slow, passing build up from the back that made us so predictable and easy to play against.
In one of his more recent interviews, Parker recalled some of the dark days of last season by referencing the away games at Brentford and Luton but he should also recall the awful home performances such as Hull City (0-3), Barnsley (0-3)-two teams that battled relegation for most of the season yet still took us apart on our home ground. As well, we lost to Notts Forest, Bristol City, Reading, Brentford at the Cottage and squeezed home against several others. Remember Luton and Sheffield Wednesday and the nail biting play off 2nd leg against Cardiff? All because these teams had worked out how to set themselves up against us and countered our pedestrian build up and reliance on one tactic -get the ball to lone striker, Mitrovic. It was excruciating to watch but, after each defeat or narrow win, Parker insisted that his playing philosophy was correct and, ultimately, we got promoted so I guess he must have been right, right? Wrong!
So insistent was he that we started the season off playing the exact same way and we all know how that worked out. Somebody or something finally changed Parker’s mind; that, in fact, his philosophy was wrong. Thankfully, he had an epiphany and altered our style of play as an attacking force with speedy breaks now being the norm. Unfortunately, this style of play doesn’t suit Mitrovic at all so he has fallen by the way side. Even more unfortunate, we don’t have a striker to replace Mitro and we have been forced to suffer, game after game, with Cavaleiro as a makeshift striker -which he most certainly is not. We have worked so hard at our game -to a man- that we had managed to string a run of unbeaten games together but draws only give us a point and, even if Robinson had not been sent off and we had battled to keep Chelsea at bay, another point would be like treading water with no upward progress. Until we sign a quality striker, our glass is, unfortunately, half full. Neither Gayle, who can’t get into the Newcastle team, nor King, who has struggled to make the Bournemouth team, are the answer. We are all so desperate to see Cavaleiro replaced, that we would accept just about anybody but we need to show some initiative and secure the services of a young, polished striker; somebody who, as well as having an eye for goal, is experienced at hold up play, has good speed and is a good investment in the long term. Bring him in on loan if need be but bring him in NOW. Secure our Premiership future with decisive action and make our glass, not just half full but full.
I saw thewhole match on Dutch tv and fulham played excellent but they have get a profolic striker in the transfer window and to get a decent sliding without risk.It was very sad for Robinson he was the best till that moment.Lookman made the same mistake in the second half but was not so harsh treated.When they play every game so good they will get safe.I like to give one warning against the teams around the relagation play counferfootball and strengh and are good organised and you uses the changes for goals Cavaleiro
Vicious circle come to mind with Fulham. We’ve gone from one of the poorest defences to now having one of the least effective forward lines. There needed to have been a two pronged effort this window one in early enabling us to go again at the end of window if required.
You only needed to look at the bench in the last month to see options of goals were minimum.
These much improved performances need to be turned in to wins but as it stands halfway through January goals still looking difficult to find and concerned all the effort of turning season around will go to waste considering our start to this season.
Fulham are going to play ery well in games and not win due to the lack of goals being scored time and time again we hear how well we have played but either lost or drawn.
Against the top teams you will get a chance or ahalf chance,yesterday we spurned a really good chance,a chance that might have wo us the game.Iwas an awful miss and didn’t even produce a save from the keeper.The only player I can think of regarding signing is gayle from Newcastle, King is over priced both in fee and in salary there is talk of dumbell from Peterborough, good player obviously ut the step up from league 1 to the premiership way too much.Giroud on loan would be good but out of the question but if we are to sign gayle sign him NOW
I totally agree with everything Charles Corkery said, I would just like to add why is it taking Tony Khan so long to get a new striker or 2 in he should have been looking for one before the January window, that is his job and he should know by now you have to act fast, and please don’t bring in any more injured players like the last time.
Even though we lost yesterday, we certainly have improved, but let’s get a striker in.
Giroud would be good but Chelsea won’t let him go.
My suggestion is Milik from Napoli.
Hi John B , the truth is Khan Jr is ore-occupied with AEW who are making lots of signings – maybe Chris Jericho or Cody Rhodes could do a turn up top – I’m sure they would both be quicker than Mitrovic ?
What we need is a premier league level striker who isn’t a “has been”, can produce and isn’t selfish with the ball. Far too many times I’ve seen big chances squandered due to ball-hogging glory seekers. Unfortunately, I don’t see any players currently in the English leagues who would fit this new style of play, 90% of them are egotistical wannabes who couldn’t hit a barn door. We need someone from either La Liga or Bundesliga who is a team player and can finish.
The hope that the Cavalier’s performance may be greater will be overestimated. We sacrificed the game in attack in favor of the defense and it will soon come back like a boomerang. Little profession is represented in our preparations for the match, and by God, in training. With this lineup, with the teams from the lower part of the table, we will lose games easier than against those at the top. We play football to not concede a goal or lose a game.ent
If we go down the chronic ignorance and criminal neglect shown by Tony Khan should not be overlooked!!
Positives. A good defence, an adequate mid field. Negative apart from Mitro who has lost form and confidence we have no recognised out and out striker. What has happened to Jay Stansfield who had incredible promise and maybe should be used on the bench. Cavalerio is inconsistent and playing out of position. I would prefer AK47 but we need to sign a proven goalscorer even if it is a gamble on a younger player from a lower division. Not King who is overpriced and only interested in the money.if we could finish 17th on goal difference that would be tremendous result.
I’m really an optimist, but can’t see us winning many games. We certainly do need a finisher. But we have played remarkably well. What an achievement it would be stay up. Think it will be down to the last game of the season
Parker seems a very conservative and cautious manager. Would prefer us not to get beat instead of going for it from time to time, trying to seek the win. You can see that in his substitutions as well with chelsea making all 3 of their subs before we made one, and we were the team who played midweek and were down to 10 men just before half time. It happened numerous times last season as well.
I personally think we missed out massively against Southampton. It seemed that Parker was more than happy to take a point against a team missing 3 of their starting 11 (Romeu, Vestergaard and Ings), and started a a 19 year old making his debut in Romeu’s place, Diallo. Diallo couldnt have had an easier game in centre mid. it was a game where TC should have played and could have pulled him around the pitch creating space. Instead we went with a back 5.
I love Parker and think he will be a great manager, but i think his game management could be a lot better. I still however, think he will get us to safety….. just.