Player Ratings: Bournemouth 3-1 Fulham
The player ratings are in for Fulham's second consecutive 3-1 defeat in the Premier League
Fulham’s mentality struggles under Marco Silva reared their ugly head once more as the Whites fell to a second 3-1 defeat in a week, again capitulating from a one goal lead. The moment this side faces any sort of adversity, they show their weakness, and it brings constant frustration, especially with the talent available across this Fulham squad. Here’s how the boys played in this one.
Bernd Leno
That’s now 16 goals conceded from outside the box since the start of last season, comfortably the most of any team/goalkeeper in the Premier League in that time, and although this effort from Kluivert was superb, it is a worry. Not as much of a worry, however, as Leno letting in Semenyo’s first at his near post, despite the Ghanaian striking from beyond the post on the byline. Worth noting Leno did make a few decent saves, with one low effort before half time from Semenyo springing to mind as well as a corner from David Brooks nearly swirling directly in which Leno punched away well, following up by saving from Evanilson too. The German also struggled heavily with distribution considering the weather. 4.5/10
Issa Diop
Yeah I thought this was okay from a player who is rarely getting Premier League minutes recently, which is quite mad for someone of his abilities on his day. Showed some really good strength in the air in touch conditions, conditions that often made him look unnerved on the ball, but he made no drastic errors, which was important when facing the Iraola press. Loved how proactive he was in stepping into midfield to intercept balls between the lines at times when Fulham struggled to get a foothold on the game early doors. On this showing, Diop has proven he continues to be worth more opportunities. 6.5/10
Joachim Andersen
I still worry that he is being pushed into a leadership role within our starting XI but doesn’t really possess the necessary leadership qualities for that role. For most of the game he was absolutely fine, rising to the challenge of Evanilson, being aggressive in those particular duels and making the most clearances of anyone on the pitch. Despite his long passing abilities struggling in the torrent weather, I was still fairly complimentary of how the Dane played until then. But again, adversity strikes and ‘leaders’ make no difference on the pitch as Fulham fell apart again. 6/10
Calvin Bassey
Considering Bassey’s poor form, lack of confidence on the ball lately, the Bournemouth press and the weather, Bassey did quite well on the ball here, with slightly less evidence of errors on it. Bar a couple of recovery runs on David Brooks, I thought his defensive influence on the game was minimal. Why he doubled up on Gammon Doak as Bournemouth countered for a third while Chukwueze was already there, leaving Semenyo completely free, is beyond me too. Enjoyed some of the overlapping runs he made from wide centre-back to join the attacks as much as any other part of his game. 5.5/10
Timothy Castagne
I’ve commented many times on how Castagne serves a purpose well but going forward he just offers far too little, even though he does possess a good engine on him and has a decent cross. The average position map of our players in this one showed Castagne as our second least advanced player throughout, with only Andersen closer to Leno on average. That’s our right wing-back. Watch how Sess gets up and down the pitch and compare it to Castagne. The Belgian simply cannot play that role unless he changes his game. Even then, he stays as far back as he can and still cares more about letting Semenyo dance past him without contact than actually stopping our opposition’s most dangerous player bare down on goal. He’s an absolute passenger at times. 4/10
Sander Berge
Look, I didn’t think this was as bad a showing as he’s had recently when I’ve gone in on Berge, and rightfully so I think. His passing was solid, often linking defence to midfield when we struggled to get a foothold. Still, a lack of completed dribbles or key passes is frustrating but to be forgiven with the flow of this game. However, one moment proper did my head in and summed Berge up at the moment. Fulham had a counter attack in the first half, with four or five in front of Berge in the Bournemouth half. The Norwegian stops the ball dead, turns away from the Bournemouth goal, and after maybe 10 seconds of dithering, plays the ball backwards to Diop. That is his game at the moment, and it offers absolutely nothing to us. I’m fed up of it. 5/10
Sasa Lukic
The last player we needed to get injured at this point of the season, hopefully it’s not serious.
Ryan Sessegnon
As I said in Castagne’s write-up, thank god we have at least one wing back who fulfils the position’s role in bursting up the line in both directions and contributing at both ends. Sess dealt well with Brooks’s dribbly nature and continued his new role of the side’s long throw taker. As for his goal, absolutely superb. His run into midfield to force Fulham forward, his run beyond Chukwueze for the give and go, his finish over Petrovic, all absolutely superb. He is in his element playing every week for Fulham once more, and we should never let him go again. 7.5/10 – man of the match
Alex Iwobi
Without doubt our most creative threat on the night. Like many others, struggled to influence the game in Bournemouth’s half early on as Fulham struggled to adapt to a striker-less formation. However, he definitely grew into the game, having Fulham’s most key passes and crosses, constantly looking to break the deadlock prior to Sessegnon’s goal. Got most of his joy in the second half when he roamed slightly further to the left, as you’d expect. 7/10
Harry Wilson
Terrible on the night, I thought. Granted, it was a hard game for our attacking trio, especially in the early stages, but bar one half volley which was easily saved by Petrovic on the hour mark, Wilson offered nothing. Every ball bounced off him, not even the weather could account for such a consistently poor first touch. Creatively he offered so little. His passing accuracy was the worst of any Fulham player. Just not a good evening for the Welshman at all. 3.5/10
Josh King
Despite the fluidity of the frontline, King was definitely the man playing highest and most centrally throughout. Despite obviously finding it hard being a focal point with his stature and still relative inexperience, it was a performance that didn’t lack effort or ingenuity. Made a number of dangerous dribbles and frequently showed a willingness to drift wide, chase balls down the channels and take a number of defenders on. Also made a number of decent runs between Diakite and Senesi in an attempt to create spaces for Wilson, Iwobi and Sess to run into. 7/10
Substitutes
Tom Cairney
Replacing the injured Lukic early on, Cairney showed our manager exactly why this side needs to move away from playing two defensive midfielders every week (especially in front of a back three too). Cairney offered far more of a progressive option from midfield, driving the ball forward frequently and changing the momentum of the game in our favour. He frequently made perfectly timed runs towards the box, ending in chances in the closing stages that could’ve changed the narrative of the game, but ultimately both his 87th minute half volley and 93rd minute effort from 20 yards both went over the bar. For all those positives, his backing off and lack of effort to prevent Kluivert’s eventual game-winning strike from range was so incredibly poor, which brings his rating down ultimately. 6.5/10
Samuel Chukwueze
Replacing Wilson three quarters of the way through the game, Chukwueze offered so much more pace, directness and creativity in his 25-minute stint. His assist for Sessegnon was perfectly weighted and showed how he was able to get up to the pace of a Premier League game after just three minutes on the pitch. Another really positive cameo from the Nigerian winger. 7/10
Kevin
Our Brazilian club record signing came on at the same time in place of Josh King. You can tell Silva is trying to coach some better decision making into Kevin, but there’s still a rawness to his game. His passing still looks slack and the way he effects the game around the box still flatters to deceive. You imagine the international break will be important for him as he continues to adapt. 5/10
Adama Traore and Emile Smith Rowe were thrown on with minutes to go in a desperate attempt to save the game, so can’t really be assessed.
Marco Silva
I think in hindsight, having to bring Lukic off for a more progressive midfielder and seeing a back three work well defensively for 75 minutes made this look a good tactical showing, but I just don’t see it. We lucked into having Cairney on for 80 minutes. For so long we had no out ball with that front three. There was no creativity for ages either, just lots of intricate passes around the box but no real intent of doing anything with it, making it look like we’d not coached any actual attacking patterns into these players over the week of preparing for this game.
While the progressive subs made a difference, it’s beyond frustrating that they have to be made over an hour in, rather than giving someone pacier and more direct a go from the start when our front three was basically made of midfielders. And deary me, when will Marco make a difference or work on the unbelievably obvious mentality issues within this side. Once we face adversity, he just has no idea of what to do. Two almost identical capitulations in a week shows nothing has really changed this season, so frustrating. 3/10