There are awkward conversations on the horizon at Fulham
As the summer approaches, a few chats need to be had.
There are four games left and everything to play for. The outcome of those four games will have a profound effect on our summer, but whatever happens, there are a couple of uncomfortable conversations that need to be had at Motspur Park during the close season.
Time up for Tete?
I’ve said it before, but in the modern game a side is only as good as its full-backs. And we have a problem on the right. (We also have an issue on the left, but I’ll get to that.)
Timothy Castagne had by far his best game in a white shirt on Saturday, after coming in for so much criticism this season (though rightly so). But as Elizabeth pointed out on the post-Villa Quick Take, he really shouldn’t be playing as much as he has been.
Tete has sat out at least a dozen games a season for each campaign since our Premier League return. It’s not good enough.
Players can’t help getting injured, of course, but the impact of Tete’s injury record has to be acknowledged and, frankly, the club needs to take action if it wants to move to the next level.
That action could take one of two forms. We either move on from Kenny, who signed a new deal in the summer to much fanfare. That would leave us with a lot of work to do in finding a replacement of the same calibre, let alone for anywhere near the cut-price deal we found him for.
Or we offload Castagne and increase competition for that right-back berth. This option is a more straightforward, logical one. Any incoming player will see how much game time Castagne has got this term, and will be aware of Tete’s patchy availability. They’ll spot the opportunity - and I think we could really raise the level of quality in this area of the pitch.
Move on from Muniz?
There was no hotter prospect in the Fulham squad in the summer than Rodrigo Muniz.
21 goals in 69 games throughout 2023/24 and 24/25 catapulted him to cult hero status at Fulham and put him firmly in the crosshairs of clubs across Europe - mainly Atalanta in Serie A.
But Rodrigo was another player to commit his future to us, and after a last-minute equaliser on the opening day it looked like a shrewd move by everyone concerned.
But eight months later, the young Brazilian is struggling. Returning from injury, he’s not been the same. He’s playing like Michael Jordan in Space Jam after the Monstars stole all his talent. There’s a certain amount of grace that should be afforded a player coming back from a spell on the sidelines, but there’s a cause for concern here.
Look, I’m not saying cash in on Muniz (not that we could at this stage). But I do wonder if he is the talismanic first-choice striker we believed he was when he inked his new deal.
We’re clearly still interested in Ricardo Pepi, despite the lack of success on that front, and with Raul Jimenez almost certain to depart back to Mexico, we need two top-tier strikers to compete with Roddy next term. If this season has shown us anything, it’s that having just two first-team strikers is detrimental in the top flight. Three is the magic number.
Adios Antonee?
So, to the left of defence. This one is, I think, the most straightforward of our conversation to have.
After six years, it’s time to cash in on Jedi. He’s in his prime; a few months off his 29th birthday. He’s got two years left on the long-term deal he signed in 2023, and despite a sharp drop-off this season, he’s still guaranteed to attract a host of suitors should the club make it clear we’d listen to offers.
Ryan Sessegnon has shown he’s more than capable of picking up the mantle, be that in the short or longer term. That, plus a competitive understudy could have the same galvanising impact on the left at the right.
None of these discussion points are particularly palatable. I can see the Facebook comments now: “Just back the boys, FFS!”. But if we’re not thinking about these things then we’re not looking to raise the floor of this squad in the summer - and that’s unforgivable.
There are four games left and there’s everything to play for. For some of our players, it’s about more than just qualifying for Europe - much more.