Here’s your guide to the upcoming Fulham season: will the positive momentum from the previous year persist at Craven Cottage?
FourFourTwo’s Fulham season preview
FFT’s view
The Plan
Fulham achieved a club-best 54 Premier League points the prior season, yet they still need further development. Significant investment Emile Smith Rowe showed potential (six goals, three assists), but the expectations are for the Arsenal academy product to control matches and dictate the pace.
LAST SEASON
PREMIER LEAGUE 11th
FA CUP Quarter-final
LEAGUE CUP Third Round
TOP SCORER (ALL COMPS) Raul Jimenez (14)
The trophy wins of Crystal Palace, Newcastle, and Spurs have Fulham supporters dreaming of their own success, alongside a top-half league placement. While Fulham secured more points against the top 10 teams than all but Liverpool (30), the west London side are too easily predicted when playing lower-ranked teams, resulting in the league’s fourth-worst record in those encounters. Fresh acquisitions are vital for a team that is becoming older.
The Coach
Silva by name, success by nature: Marco Silva has been Fulham’s most impactful manager in a long time, developing a team prone to relegation into an established Premier League competitor. As the 48-year-old enters his contract’s final year, the club must guarantee its goals match those of their manager.
Key Player
Silva values flexibility and Alex Iwobi shows it, as a scorer of goals and provider of assists (a combined 15 last term) who performs equally well on the left, right, or through the centre. Now an experienced player at 29, the Nigerian must also step up as a leader.
Lesson From Last Year
Get ahead, stay ahead. The Cottagers surrendered 28 points from advantageous positions – only Spurs gave up more – with a pattern of decline emerging after the Christmas period. Last season, they lost four league games before the end of the year, then 10 in the new year.
FFT’S SEASON PREVIEW
This preview originally appeared in FourFourTwo’s Season Preview issue which went on sale in July, available here with free delivery
Strong backup is essential at full-back, particularly given Silva’s insistence on overlaps. When Kenny Tete, the right-back, was injured in December, Timothy Castagne was forced to play through injury each week. Antonee Robinson, the consistently sought-after left-back, provided 10 assists – the most of any defender – but then declined and required surgery this summer. His intensity is always crucial.
The Mood
A lingering sense of ‘what could have been’ is present. For the third straight year, Fulham were within one match of Wembley, yet didn’t reach it, while also watching a top-half spot – or even a European place – slip away.
The One To Watch
Josh King, 18. The midfielder debuted in the Premier League last season and demonstrated considerable potential in brief appearances. Huw Jennings’ newest star from Motspur Park has captained England U18s.
Most Likely To…
Express detachment from everyday supporter concerns: Alistair Mackintosh, Fulham’s chief executive. His statements regarding the new Riverside Stand irritated many fans. “At other clubs, you hear the c-word – here the c-words are ‘champagne’ and ‘caviar’,” he joked.
Least Likely To…
Need to purchase a jar of honey: Harry ‘the Beekeeper’ Wilson. He scored both home and away against Brentford, haunting supporters in TW8, yet he will always be celebrated in SW6: “Who put the ball in the Brentford net? Harry f**king Wilson.”
FFT Verdict
12TH Silva requires reassurance from the club’s hierarchy, more output from Smith Rowe, and a new forward for Fulham to improve.
The Number Cruncher
The Fan View
Following a season of highs and with areas needing improvement, FourFourTwo sought the opinions of the fans through Jack Stroudley…
Last season was a story of two halves. We surpassed our highest points total and spent a significant part of the year challenging for European qualification, but ultimately fell short. Our form at the end of the season requires attention, as does our mindset in important matches.
I won’t be happy unless we deepen our squad. Shahid Khan: release the funds.
Our key player will be Rodrigo Muniz. After a year and a half, and with Raul Jimenez aging, more pressure is on him to develop and make meaningful contributions.
The pantomime villain will be Fabio Carvalho. He essentially pleaded to be transferred and ended up with our rivals.
The opposition player I’d love here is Leon Bailey. It’s possible: we require more wide options and Aston Villa are open to selling. Let’s make it happen.
I’m least looking forward to playing Manchester City. We are always defeated by them, regardless of current form, and they are usually awarded a dubious penalty.
A social media account to follow is @jackellyffc, an excellent independent journalist covering Fulham.
Our most underrated player is Sasa Lukic, filling the void left by Joao Palhinha alongside the assured midfielder Sander Berge. Palhinha is already out of favour at Bayern Munich – could we possibly have him back…?
I’m most looking forward to visiting the Stadium of Light. I’ve never been there.
Fans think our gaffer has completely changed the club.
If he left, he should be replaced by Liam Rosenior, a Fulham fan who has been impressive at Hull and Strasbourg.
We’ll finish 11th, again wondering, ‘What if…?’
This preview originally appeared in FourFourTwo’s Season Preview issue which went on sale in July, available here with free delivery
