What a fun year to be a Fulham fan. Our first league game of 2022 was a 7-0 win at Reading followed by back to back 6-2 wins at Craven Cottage over Bristol City and Birmingham City. Marco Silva’s side have ended the year with the same winning feeling after massive maximum points from three post-World Cup fixtures at Crystal Palace, home to Southampton and then back away at Leicester City; sides who are in their 10th and 11th and 9th Premier League seasons respectively.

For the first time in the Khan ownership, Fulham look like they belong in the Premier League and are competing as such. The start of more success for the billionaire owners as Tony’s All Elite Wrestling are set to gross over $100m for 2022, whilst aiming to continue that in 2023 as they find a television solution for the acquired Ring Of Honor promotion. The Jacksonville Jaguars can smell the NFL play-offs for the first time since 2017, as head coach Doug Pedersen has rejuvenated the franchise and has franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence playing at an elite level.

For Fulham, the goal is simple. Build on the first half of the season and get consecutive Premier League seasons (and income) for the first time since Shahid Khan purchased the club in 2013. We can all talk about being a sustainable football club, but those aims are much easier when 17th place last season paid £113.3m, that number excluding matchday revenue, sponsorship and any transfer business.

Away from the business side, the product Marco Silva has put on the Craven Cottage turf has been champagne worthy. A willingness to win every fixture and the personnel now to fight for each other and grind out every possible point – Joao Palhinha has been a masterclass of a signing and you wonder how different the season may look without his warrior personality never mind also being one of the top recoverees of the football in the league.

The same too applies for Andreas, whilst many would likely prefer Fabio Carvalho from a team building standpoint, it’s Andreas’ application, attitude and skill set that has helped Fulham stamp their authority on the Premier League. That isn’t to say that Fabio had issues with any of the above, he’s talented in his own right, he works hard on and off the field but Andreas’ different skill set has suited the Silva system to a tee. A possible squad hole on promotion has been filled impeccably with an excellent transfer window driven by our Portuguese head coach.

Now I’ll let you in behind the curtains, I started writing this post-Southampton and here we are, after a dogged 1-0 win at the King Power Stadium, arguably the second successive three points we gained without ‘deserving.’ I say deserve with a lack of a better way to describe the notion of winning without playing well. But to add to the previous paragraph on strong recruitment, we saw an incredible display from Bernd Leno who was signed at a snip from Arsenal. Whilst he hasn’t played badly, Leicester away was certainly a standout performance from his young Fulham career.

Whilst it’s not over until it’s over, 2023 appears to be a promising year for Fulham, as I write we sit 13 points and 13 goal difference above 18th but a tricky fixture list coming up after our FA Cup tie at Hull with Chelsea (H), Newcastle (A), Tottenham (H) and Chelsea (A) on the schedule. In January though, 13 points isn’t a massive gap. To use a cliché, there’s plenty of football to be played but the volume of teams between Fulham and Everton (current incumbents in 18th place) is the most encouraging sign.

I’ve seen a lot of discussion online about how to approach this weekend’s FA Cup game at Hull City. The way the season has started and the table has laid out, I’m all for largely playing strong at the MKM Stadium. Whilst you may rest the more senior star players I wouldn’t go overboard. Somewhere between full strength and the Crawley League Cup game is how I’d go about it. Even with Aleksandar Mitrovic suspended for the Chelsea game, I’d leave him out with him nursing an ankle injury generally; you hope Carlos Vinicius would be able to fill that role against a Championship side. Someone like Joao Palhinha, you just don’t want to risk him this early into the Cup with the games coming up, Nathaniel Chalobah comes in. It’s time for Tom Cairney to get a start in place of starting 10 Andreas Pereira. It’s an opportunity to switch things up on the wings with Dan James, Harry Wilson and Manor Solomon all in contention to play. Marco Silva has the benefit of picking between Tim Ream, Issa Diop, Tosin and Shane Duffy at the back; Marek Rodak can come into goal whilst Layvin Kurzawa can get a start at left back. Right back is odd with a lack of depth behind Kenny Tete, it could be Bobby Decordova-Reid or we bring Kevin Mbabu in from the dark (which seems unlikely).

A starting eleven of Rodak, Bobby/Mbabu, Ream/Diop/Tosin/Duffy, Kurzawa; Reed, Chalobah, Cairney; Wilson, Vinicius, James doesn’t disrespect the competition. It’s strong enough to win and win comfortably against Championship level opposition though the magic of the cup will always sprinkle an upset somewhere. I would be tempted to not even take Mitrovic, Palhinha, Leno, Andreas and Willian to Hull and replace on the bench with other fringe and academy talent. Giving an extended run out to Luke Harris if the game is in hand and getting some minutes into the legs of Manor Solomon feels suitable to me.

I feel like some of my writing is a bit of a ramble lately, but Fulham have lifted me out of this funk. All in all, things are looking very positive on the banks of the Thames, we’ve had a soft opening of the Riverside Stand, Premier League promotion, a strong start to accomplishing Premier League safety and a strong summer transfer window made 2022 a good year in the record books. Now to build on that make 2023 great as well; finish what we started and grow upon it.

Happy New Year Fulham fans. Enjoy it.