Silva is fortunate as Andersen(though stupid) will be the scapegoat for what was a tactically inept second half. Silva is not the genuis some think he is and I am confident, if the Khans do their homework, that we can get a manager who can improve us.
The ridiculous criticism Marco's made about the decision to send off Andersen in the post-match interview suggests that they are very much focusing on that call as a scapegoat. You can see why to some degree - managers don't throw players under the bus very often - but you're quite right, the team were well off it despite Bournemouth also having 10 men and if Silva isn't wanting to move forward with Fulham then the Khan's need to act swiftly to find someone that will.
Great write up. And I fully agree that with as much as I want to point the finger squarely at Andersen the attack has looked so lifeless for weeks his horrible error really did not matter much in the end.
On the wings Wilson seems either spent or that he’s already moved on to his next squad mentally, Chukwueze seems afraid to attack in the final third and neither Bobb nor Kevin have the composure in front of goal to finish a move. Raul is clearly spent and Muniz seems a wholly different player from last season. I just did not see where a goal could possibly come from today or really for the last month
It doesn't look like Wilson will be here next season, particularly with our European dream slipping away. To offer a slight defence of the guy, he's started essentially every game he's been available for since the start of the season, and combined with the emotional toll of Wales missing out on the World Cup is probably a bit drained. "Spent" is a good way of putting it - his heroics in the first part of the campaign feel a long way away at the moment. Fits Raul too, and with Muniz clearly needing a summer to recover from his injury troubles and half the squad some way off being regular goal scorers (with the other half injured!) there's a lot to sort out for Marco (or whomever the manager will be) before next season starts in attack and in all honesty across the pitch!
Groundhog day - it's surprising Bill Murray isn't playing for us. He may as well be since this team look about the same age! Every season it's the same old story; it ends around the end of February. Any dreams of Europe are nonsense if we play only 28 games when every other team is playing 38! The three 'B's - Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford, have been consistently better than us, despite losing managers and many of their best players. We pussyfoot around with transfers taking an eternity and then, some, simply petering out, and those that do arrive here, having shown promise elsewhere, are just not quite the real deal despite showing flashes of brilliance once in a blue moon. The farce over Silva's contract is just another example of the fact that, compared to the aforementioned three 'B's, we don't seem to have a clue!
It's an alarming trend - we make a decent start to the campaign, have the form and results to be in and around the European places by the turn of the year, have a promising cup run to get us to the cusp of Wembley... and as you say, the form tails off, players wind down and we finish in mid-table.
I think this season is particularly galling because we had the knowledge of three previous campaigns to learn from, and have seemingly squandered it. The investment wasn't there to bolster core areas of the squad, which have contributed rather massively to the sluggishness and thread-bare numbers we have up front, at CM and in the full-back positions. Silva's not seemed the happiest over the season, probably in part because as you've described most of the "three Bs" have taken advantage of the extra European places/Chelsea and Tottenham's seasons being so terrible and are generally more decisive and proactive with their activity.
We're stagnant at the moment, and stagnancy in the Premier League gets you found out.
Somewhat ironically, when we were supposed to be at our weakest - during the African Cup of Nations - Silva, inspired an unbeaten January, during which we achieved 11 out of a possible 15 points. But that was followed by 3 from 12 in February! One of our biggest problems - apart from the slug-like nature of our transfers - seems to be consistency. Silva, now, seems jaded: maybe it is time to say thanks and goodbye. Bournemouth managed to sort out their manager situation before there'd been a sniff of a problem and Brentford's solution - Keith Andrews, who at first inspired little but derision - is now looking just 'inspired'!
JKA next two games please, so we can make a decision to stick or twist. And bench Wilson…his season has gone. As with Marco, thanks for your service and good luck.
Season and legs have gone for Wilson! And it would be very Fulhamish for JKA to get a start, suddenly score a few goals, and immediately return to Bayern, wouldn't it?
I overheard a number of fans mentioning that the team needs a reset. I agree with you that the space left due to the players being sent off seemed to be enjoyed more by the Bournemouth players. Fulham are quite static and the build up allows the other team to organise the defence. We need to add more mobility to our play, Fulham have definitely missed Iwobi’s dynamism. Cairney is so vital but it’s time to move on!
Our team just aren't as quick around the pitch as the others - our fastest players (Robinson, Sess, Chukwueze, Kevin) have all been in and out of injury across the season, genuinely versatile and fluid players like Iwobi and Wilson have been running for us all season (and are now injured/tired haha) and as you describe people like Cairney don't have the legs to supply their quality for a full game (sometimes even a whole half).
If Marco goes, a reset makes a lot of sense, but I'd want the new manager to actually have a say in what the reset looks like. It would be unhelpful to start signing players before we know who is actually going to be in charge next season!
Fulham looked great in possession in the first half, dominated the game, but with zero cutting edge.
Muniz tried hard but doesn’t look right, Smith-Rowe was almost having to play as an auxiliary striker at times, which he did fairly well, but didn’t look like creating any chances.
Nice to see Jedi playing well again, and I love that Bassey thinks that he’s Franz Beckenbauer. Sasa was good. Timmy was good.
Other than that, I’ve checked out nearly as much as the rest of the team.
It's a shame, because that first half was genuinely looking good. We do have good PL players around the team, and if we had a functioning attack the improved performances around defence might have actually contributed to a good result.
But the attack is so underwhelming at the moment. Muniz's injuries have taken away his sharpness and confidence, which make him much easier to deal with than other forwards, and whilst Raul is slick he's also several years and injuries past his best, not to mention exhausted from covering for Muniz this year. ESR is an intelligent footballer and like you've said did a good job moving around the final third but is neither ruthless goalscorer nor powerful athlete and hasn't produced a flurry of goals (and also keeps getting injured). Wilson's been poor for weeks.
Evanilson's had a quieter season for Bournemouth but they also have Tavernier, Kroupi, Rayan (Semenyo before he left for Man City) scoring goals around him. Wilson and Raul have decent goal tallies of 11 and 10 over the campaign but are knackered, and there's a huge drop off from there (ESR next with 5). Really, it's not a surprise Bournemouth look set to claim an outstanding finish this season - Fulham have a lot to improve on!
Great report! Your description of the "Borne(mouth) Identity" was right on the money. Highlights a Fulham irritant when compared with comparable clubs, i.e. the three Bs - Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton, all impressively well-managed teams from the front office to the field. Andersen presents a big problem - a BIG contract that carries through the 2029 season. Very sad to read of Silva's whining abut Andersen's red - come on! Hoping he lets King, Kevin and Bobb get starts and minutes for the remainder. Maybe Khan was auditioning one of the many former managers in the stands for a return? Uncle Roy?;-)
Silva is fortunate as Andersen(though stupid) will be the scapegoat for what was a tactically inept second half. Silva is not the genuis some think he is and I am confident, if the Khans do their homework, that we can get a manager who can improve us.
The ridiculous criticism Marco's made about the decision to send off Andersen in the post-match interview suggests that they are very much focusing on that call as a scapegoat. You can see why to some degree - managers don't throw players under the bus very often - but you're quite right, the team were well off it despite Bournemouth also having 10 men and if Silva isn't wanting to move forward with Fulham then the Khan's need to act swiftly to find someone that will.
Great write up. And I fully agree that with as much as I want to point the finger squarely at Andersen the attack has looked so lifeless for weeks his horrible error really did not matter much in the end.
On the wings Wilson seems either spent or that he’s already moved on to his next squad mentally, Chukwueze seems afraid to attack in the final third and neither Bobb nor Kevin have the composure in front of goal to finish a move. Raul is clearly spent and Muniz seems a wholly different player from last season. I just did not see where a goal could possibly come from today or really for the last month
Thanks!
It doesn't look like Wilson will be here next season, particularly with our European dream slipping away. To offer a slight defence of the guy, he's started essentially every game he's been available for since the start of the season, and combined with the emotional toll of Wales missing out on the World Cup is probably a bit drained. "Spent" is a good way of putting it - his heroics in the first part of the campaign feel a long way away at the moment. Fits Raul too, and with Muniz clearly needing a summer to recover from his injury troubles and half the squad some way off being regular goal scorers (with the other half injured!) there's a lot to sort out for Marco (or whomever the manager will be) before next season starts in attack and in all honesty across the pitch!
Groundhog day - it's surprising Bill Murray isn't playing for us. He may as well be since this team look about the same age! Every season it's the same old story; it ends around the end of February. Any dreams of Europe are nonsense if we play only 28 games when every other team is playing 38! The three 'B's - Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford, have been consistently better than us, despite losing managers and many of their best players. We pussyfoot around with transfers taking an eternity and then, some, simply petering out, and those that do arrive here, having shown promise elsewhere, are just not quite the real deal despite showing flashes of brilliance once in a blue moon. The farce over Silva's contract is just another example of the fact that, compared to the aforementioned three 'B's, we don't seem to have a clue!
It's an alarming trend - we make a decent start to the campaign, have the form and results to be in and around the European places by the turn of the year, have a promising cup run to get us to the cusp of Wembley... and as you say, the form tails off, players wind down and we finish in mid-table.
I think this season is particularly galling because we had the knowledge of three previous campaigns to learn from, and have seemingly squandered it. The investment wasn't there to bolster core areas of the squad, which have contributed rather massively to the sluggishness and thread-bare numbers we have up front, at CM and in the full-back positions. Silva's not seemed the happiest over the season, probably in part because as you've described most of the "three Bs" have taken advantage of the extra European places/Chelsea and Tottenham's seasons being so terrible and are generally more decisive and proactive with their activity.
We're stagnant at the moment, and stagnancy in the Premier League gets you found out.
Somewhat ironically, when we were supposed to be at our weakest - during the African Cup of Nations - Silva, inspired an unbeaten January, during which we achieved 11 out of a possible 15 points. But that was followed by 3 from 12 in February! One of our biggest problems - apart from the slug-like nature of our transfers - seems to be consistency. Silva, now, seems jaded: maybe it is time to say thanks and goodbye. Bournemouth managed to sort out their manager situation before there'd been a sniff of a problem and Brentford's solution - Keith Andrews, who at first inspired little but derision - is now looking just 'inspired'!
JKA next two games please, so we can make a decision to stick or twist. And bench Wilson…his season has gone. As with Marco, thanks for your service and good luck.
Season and legs have gone for Wilson! And it would be very Fulhamish for JKA to get a start, suddenly score a few goals, and immediately return to Bayern, wouldn't it?
I overheard a number of fans mentioning that the team needs a reset. I agree with you that the space left due to the players being sent off seemed to be enjoyed more by the Bournemouth players. Fulham are quite static and the build up allows the other team to organise the defence. We need to add more mobility to our play, Fulham have definitely missed Iwobi’s dynamism. Cairney is so vital but it’s time to move on!
Our team just aren't as quick around the pitch as the others - our fastest players (Robinson, Sess, Chukwueze, Kevin) have all been in and out of injury across the season, genuinely versatile and fluid players like Iwobi and Wilson have been running for us all season (and are now injured/tired haha) and as you describe people like Cairney don't have the legs to supply their quality for a full game (sometimes even a whole half).
If Marco goes, a reset makes a lot of sense, but I'd want the new manager to actually have a say in what the reset looks like. It would be unhelpful to start signing players before we know who is actually going to be in charge next season!
Great review as ever.
Fulham looked great in possession in the first half, dominated the game, but with zero cutting edge.
Muniz tried hard but doesn’t look right, Smith-Rowe was almost having to play as an auxiliary striker at times, which he did fairly well, but didn’t look like creating any chances.
Nice to see Jedi playing well again, and I love that Bassey thinks that he’s Franz Beckenbauer. Sasa was good. Timmy was good.
Other than that, I’ve checked out nearly as much as the rest of the team.
Thanks!
It's a shame, because that first half was genuinely looking good. We do have good PL players around the team, and if we had a functioning attack the improved performances around defence might have actually contributed to a good result.
But the attack is so underwhelming at the moment. Muniz's injuries have taken away his sharpness and confidence, which make him much easier to deal with than other forwards, and whilst Raul is slick he's also several years and injuries past his best, not to mention exhausted from covering for Muniz this year. ESR is an intelligent footballer and like you've said did a good job moving around the final third but is neither ruthless goalscorer nor powerful athlete and hasn't produced a flurry of goals (and also keeps getting injured). Wilson's been poor for weeks.
Evanilson's had a quieter season for Bournemouth but they also have Tavernier, Kroupi, Rayan (Semenyo before he left for Man City) scoring goals around him. Wilson and Raul have decent goal tallies of 11 and 10 over the campaign but are knackered, and there's a huge drop off from there (ESR next with 5). Really, it's not a surprise Bournemouth look set to claim an outstanding finish this season - Fulham have a lot to improve on!
Silva has plateaued and doesn't seem to have a plan B, so thanks but Fulham need a new manager and a few changes of personnel.
Great report! Your description of the "Borne(mouth) Identity" was right on the money. Highlights a Fulham irritant when compared with comparable clubs, i.e. the three Bs - Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton, all impressively well-managed teams from the front office to the field. Andersen presents a big problem - a BIG contract that carries through the 2029 season. Very sad to read of Silva's whining abut Andersen's red - come on! Hoping he lets King, Kevin and Bobb get starts and minutes for the remainder. Maybe Khan was auditioning one of the many former managers in the stands for a return? Uncle Roy?;-)