This Season Has Been A Serious Breath Of Fresh Air — Notes for Fulham Friday, 23rd Dec 2016 17:17 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of our Boxing Day fixture at Portman Road by delving into their forums. “We are at the halfway point in the season now and I am so incredibly proud of our club and the lads for having such a resurgent year. We have gone from 17th and 20th place finishes to being seated ninth and within reach of the play-offs”, “A work in progress, but progress is what we are showing.” “We are a proper team now.” Fulham arrive at Portman Road comfortably mid-table and on a four-game unbeaten run. Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to the Rams was the eighth consecutive match in which they found the net and Cottagers have welcomed their side’s entertaining brand of football. “It is good to look forward to a match with optimism, thinking we will come away with a result”, “We have gone from being a joke to a very decent, attractive team in 20 games this season”, “There is a long way to go but yes, it’s nice to say that at last and at least we are heading in the right direction.” “The top two are too far off so we should be aiming for fifth or sixth at this point.” Fulham are the division’s second-highest scorers, but most fans expect a play-off berth at the very most as the side has also played out the second-highest number of stalemates in the Championship this season. “We will finish in a solid mid-table position”, “I can’t see us reaching higher with the number of draws we have”, “Attractive as we look, we are not the solid unit needed to make a promotion charge”, “This was always going to be a two-season rebuild so any success this season is a bonus.” Slavisa Jokanovic“Slavisa appears to have the ship righted and sailing again. The results are still inconsistent but, for the most part, the performances tell a better story than that”, “He’s the best manager we have had in quite some time and he has a steel and determination in him that we have been missing.” The 48-year-old Serbian and former Watford boss “has got this team clicking. He is a brave manager who drills his side well and follows his beliefs. Unlike previous managers he clearly knows what he is doing and is prepared to gamble a but to back his beliefs”, “He’s doing a great job but needs time.” “It took three seasons and a lot of frustration but we finally have a manager now”, “He has stamped a clearly discernible style on the team. It hasn’t been plain sailing but Slavisa’s management is finally starting to bear fruit now”, “He seems to be not one for small talk and gets straight to the point.” “We are so much better than last year following his overhaul of the squad.” He has been praised for his astute transfer dealings last summer as well as the side’s brand of football. “Slavisa seems more than capable of getting his teams to play the kind of football that inspires hope for the future.” Poor Game Management“We are not a park the bus team and that is both a blessing and a curse, isn’t it?”, “We throw players upfield with elegant passing and running. We run up a big early lead but we can’t bunker it and hold on”, “Our lack of ruthlessness coupled with a soft underbelly is undermining our top-six chances.” “The play-offs are just so elusive. We continue to throw points away, four points in recent memory at Wolves and home to Derby.” Fulham threw away winning positions in both of these recent games. The side’s inability to convert winning performances into points is now the biggest issue to address. “We need to see out games where we are in control”, “Any team that achieves promotion needs to play with more control and win close games. We are dropping too many points, not through a lack of ability but a lack of game management and an inability to control periods of the game better.” Formation“We are as good as anyone when our domination counts. It is so frustrating when it doesn’t”, “If we can get our defensive frailties sorted and continue with our prolific goal scoring, we will be in the play-offs”, “There’s definite room for improvement, but we have no need for a complete overhaul.” ButtonFredericksKalasSigurdssonMaloneMcDonaldJohansenCairneyAyiteAlukoPiazon
Fulham’s starting XI (above) last Saturday against Derby had the familiar three in midfield and one up front formation they have used under Jokanovic, although loan striker Chris Martin was unable to play against his parent club. Sone Aluko moved in from his normal position out wide to replace him. ButtonFredericksMadlParkerMaloneMcDonaldJohansenCairneyAyiteHumphrysPiazon
It’s worth looking at the line-up (above) which finished the game. Centre-halves Tomas Kalas and Ragnar Sigurdsson were both taken off with injuries so holding midfielder Kevin McDonald switched into the back four while Scott Parker, now used as a regular bench option, replaced him in midfield. “We don’t have much of a problem in attack. Goals come from everywhere.” The Cottagers’ goal threats come as much from midfield as their lone striker. Tom Cairney has been effective operating as a playmaker while box-to-box midfielder Stefan Johansen has also added goals to his game lately. “We have goals in us.” Aluko and Floyd Ayite normally start out wide and are a quick and dangerous threat getting in behind defenders. Along with Martin’s strength and hold-up play, their pace is a big factor in stretching defences and creating the space which fellow midfielders are able to exploit. “We could have done with a striking option on the bench but that’s old news.” Chris Martin is seen as the only frontline striker in the squad with target man Matt Smith now out of favour. Nineteen-year-old youth product Stephen Humphrys was given a late run-out ahead of Smith against Derby. “Free headers from corners and set pieces still plague us.” Centre-half Tomas Kalas will be a huge loss on Boxing Day with a hamstring injury, but Cottagers have consistently criticised their defence for being error prone, for lacking robustness and also for a hesitancy which has cost them points. “Slava has built a sleek passing team that attacks from the back and ever forward in an elegant and continental style. It works until the pushing, shoving and shirt-grabbing starts”, “We cannot handle teams that start playing dirty. Every time teams start diving and cynically fouling us we fall apart.” Fulham 2 — 2 Derby“It’s over and two points dropped, we should have had that one”, “Another two points thrown away, it’s going to cost us”, “I’m very proud of the effort. We outplayed Derby and will outplay most in the division”, “We have come a long way but have to stop letting these scrappy, ugly teams get to us.” Tom Ince opened the scoring for the visitors on 34 minutes when put through by Johnny Russell but an Ayite tap-in in first-half stoppage time and Johansen shot just after an hour saw Fulham take the lead. Alex Pearce then levelled on 75 minutes for Derby from “a poor free header from a corner”. Some Cottagers were quick to see the upside. “That was a bloody good game of football. We did not win and that is disappointing but hey ho, that’s the league. Both teams played some good stuff”, “Not losing to a team which had won their last seven games is something we can take as a positive.” Fulham 2 — 1 Rotherham“I guess that can be described as adequate”, “We dug a result out and that’s all that matters”, “I was at the match and we absolutely dominated. We would have bottled it earlier this season and drawn that game”, “That was a good result all things considered, we went behind, came back and held on.” “Unbelievable, it’s all us and we go a goal down.” The Millers took the lead against the run of play on 19 minutes through a Joe Newell strike but Johansen converted Ryan Sessegnon’s cross to level just after half an hour. Ayite put the hosts ahead on 54 before Chris Martin saw his penalty kick saved. ButtonFredericksKalasMadlSessegnonMcDonaldJohansenCairneyAlukoMartinAyite
Jokanovic played what many believe was his strongest midfield five behind Martin (above) but used this midweek fixture against bottom-of-the-table opponents to rotate his defence with centre-half Michael Madl and left-back Sessegnon respectively replacing Tim Ream and Scott Malone. “What were we doing with 80 per cent possession?”, “We kept getting the ball and attacking but we weren’t finishing”, “Rotherham reminded me of those nature documentaries where vulnerable prey adopted the strategy of freezing stock still, doing absolutely nothing and hoping trouble blows over.” Wolves 4 — 4 Fulham“Damn! Yes! Oh Great! Brilliant! Blast! Oh Hell! Sod Off! Hurrah! - a typical day at Fulham”, “Who wrote the script for this match?”, “What the actual hell is going on?”, “That was a pantomime, a circus and pure theatre all rolled into one second half, but I feel it is two points thrown away.” “This isn’t real life.” Kortney Hause headed Wolves ahead on 22 minutes with “a header while unmarked from a corner” but strikes by Johansen, Ayite and Cairney saw Fulham race into a 3-1 interval lead. “A magnificent first half but I still wouldn’t predict the final score. I hope we can close this out.” “Please don’t let this happen”, “You have got to be kidding me.” Goals from Matt Doherty and Ivan Cavaleiro drew the hosts level before Dave Edwards’s last minute strike put the West Midlanders in front. Ayite finally grabbed a dramatic headed equaliser for Fulham four minutes into stoppage time. “Four-all and that, my friends, is why we are not going up this season”, “We should have buried that game”, “One for the memory banks and great entertainment for those in attendance”, “I don’t know whether to go for a drink to drown my sorrows, or go for a drink to celebrate our late equaliser.” Goalkeepers and Defenders“David Button is a decent shot shopper and communicates with his defence but he is not great on crosses, his distribution is poor and he is not a great footballer.” The 27-year-old summer addition from Brentford “makes great saves but can be a nightmare on clearances. He gives me heart failure.”  “Button makes life difficult for his defenders with his awful distribution”, “For a side which is trying to pass out from the back, I am concerned every time he gets the ball to his feet”, “His terrific saves have benefited us far more than they have cost us this season but his distribution is a nightmare.” “Ryan Fredericks is so much quicker than 90 per cent of those he plays against.” The 24-year-old right-back - who scored against the Blues with a cross on his Millwall debut in January 2014 - is best remembered for his loan spell at Middlesbrough from then-parent club Spurs. “He certainly is eye-catchingly quick and we have looked a more balanced side since he has come in.” Cottagers feel that there has been an improvement in Fredericks’s wider footballing contribution. “Last season he was a prime example of the fact that speed isn’t much use in football unless you know what to do with it”, “Ryan has been remarkably more influential in our games this season.” “Scott Malone is defensively sound, runs all day but is a bit hit-and-miss going forward. That seems fair and is a huge upgrade over left-backs of recent seasons.” The 25-year-old former Bluebird “is a no-nonsense footballer who likes to play nice and simple. I really like his work-rate and attitude”.  “We mugged Cardiff on the swap deal with Malone and Jazz Richards this summer”, “He does the simple things well, he is effective most of the time and his crossing is improving. Sometimes a player lands at the right club, team and situation and it clicks for them. Malone is one of these players.” Ryan Sessegnon is going to be very good but he’s only 16 and will serve up the good, bad and ugly for a while yet.” The youth product “is a remarkable talent at left-back given his age. He makes rash sloppy overconfident passes which are too deep to be useful and is understandably out-muscled.” “Tomas Kalas is our best defender, a model of consistency who makes others play better around him.” The 23-year-old Chelsea loan signing is out for two weeks with a hamstring problem picked up against the Rams. “What a player, a top centre-half who makes a massive difference when he plays.” “Tim Ream has the strength and pace of an old lady. Someone like Mick McCarthy will be rubbing his hands at the prospect of playing a team with him at the back.” The 29-year-old ex-Bolton man had a “disaster” at Wolves. “He plays because he brings a better left-right balance to our central defence.” “Ream is an excellent footballer who rarely gives the ball away when he is in possession but he is not a defender”, “His control of the ball out from the back is superb but problems come when he needs to attack the ball in the air. He struggles winning the ball, blocking it or putting his body on the line.” “Michael Madl lacks height and can get mugged off by the very best strikers but otherwise he is a decent centre-half.” The 28-year-old ex-Sturm Graz man “is one of our best central defenders but he needs someone physical next to him”, “I like him as a footballer as he reads the game very well.” “Madl is a good player, but height and physicality matter in the Championship”, “Neither Madl nor Sigurdsson look happy in the left centre-back role. The angles they get into trying to get a pass away make them look out of place. This stands out a lot more because we are such a footballing side.” Ragnar Sigurdsson“I have not at all been impressed by Ragnar since he signed. He was bullied by Gary Hooper against the Owls last month and while not error prone, he does not fill me with confidence.” The 30-year-old scored for Iceland against England at Euro 2016 and was signed from Krasnodar in August.  “Sigurdsson was awful against Derby. He looked uncertain all the time and not at all himself. He was ball-watching for Derby’s first goal”, “He’s error prone and unimposing and may be finding it hard to cope with the pace of the game here. He was slow to anticipate or react to the Derby through-ball.” “For a tattooed Scandinavian no-nonsense centre-half, he is remarkably unimposing and tentative”, “A remarkable number of weaknesses”, “I thought we were getting a tough, rough-and-tumble guy who played at the Euros and in his place, we got a tart running around in gloves. Ragnar my arse.” Central Midfielders“With Scott Parker in midfield we are too slow and defensive. Much of his passing is behind and sideways and it puts Button under pressure in goal.” The 36-year-old former Spurs, Newcastle and West Ham man “always gives his all but I still think we are a better team with him on the bench”.  “I still value the role Parker plays as captain”, “A good holding midfielder knows what he will do before he gets the ball. He makes four turns and then passes backwards”, “He keeps the ball rotating when he plays but no matter how well he plays, we are slower and deeper with him on the pitch.” “Kevin McDonald should never be in midfield at the same time as Parker. They do not complement each other.” The 28-year-old July arrival from Wolves “is a solid player who provides our midfield with a bit of physicality”, “McDonald has shown himself to be a very strong player in the tackle.” “McDonald gives us control, strength and ability in the most important part of the pitch”, “He keeps us ticking over, is calm and has an occasional killer pass and was capable at the back against Derby”, “He’s one of the few players we have that can tackle but he’s still soft by Championship standards.” Tom Cairney“Some of Cairney’s footwork is the best I have ever seen from a Fulham player.” The 25-year-old ex-Blackburn man “is possibly the most talented player we have and possesses such a sweet left foot”, “His vision and his terrific passes to our pacy players allow us to attack with speed and urgency.”  “Tom Cairney, get a ball, find a wall, kick a ball at it with your right foot for 30 minutes and repeat every day”, “I just wish he would use his right foot”, “He drifts past players despite being one-footed and creates space for others, but he goes missing more than anybody when the going gets tough.” Stefan Johansen“Johansen, you are a legend”, “He has been a revelation in recent weeks. I love him”, “His work has partly why we have been so good lately”, “His hustling, pressing, energy, creativity, technical ability, passing range and attitude have created a completely different monster out of the Fulham attack.” The 25-year-old August addition from Celtic is a Norway international. “Johansen is one of the most versatile players we have had in a long time”, “He is absolutely everywhere and seemingly all of the time. He’s a true box-to-box midfielder with the talent to make a difference in both boxes.” “Stefan has added much needed bite, energy and quality to our impressive attacking play”, “When in full throttle he transforms us”, “A defensive midfielder, a deep-lying playmaker and a number 10 all combined in one tattooed Norwegian”, “Skill and energy combined is a potent force in this league.” Wide Midfielders“Lucas Piazon doesn’t have a single ‘thing’ that he’s exceptionally good at but is a good all-rounder. He’s a mobile player with a decent burst of pace.” The 22-year-old is on loan from Chelsea and also played on loan last season at Reading. “He has some lovely touches and his movement is great.” “The lack of a wow factor means Piazon will never be the first name on the team sheet”, “He puts tackles in and tracks back”, “It’s very Fulham-ish to have our first ever Brazilian who is probably the least Brazilian attacker ever but even still he’s a little lightweight against the thugs in this league.” “Good old Floyd Ayite, this scoring is becoming a bit of a habit.” The 28-year-old Togo international and July arrival from Bastia “has quickly adapted to the pace and physicality of this league and found confidence. He is quick and hardworking, and his tricks and skill are a joy to watch every week.” “Ayite is dangerous going forward, he can play on either wing and always covers back too”, “He has a rare commodity in that he is capable of taking on a defender and beating him. He generally doesn’t waste possession trying to beat his man when there is clearly a better pass which he could make.” Sone Aluko“Aluko has been excellent all season, a live wire who is good on the ball and creates opportunities for others. He has pace and wins the ball back more than others in the side. If his finishing was stronger he would be in a top-flight side”, “He’s a genuine creator of chances because he opens up defences.”  The 27-year-old summer signing from Hull “is much more effective in wide areas with more space to attack”, “Aluko’s direct approach and pace are contributing massively to the side”, “Nobody can run past the opposition like he can and he causes them problems, but he cannot shoot to save his life.” Strikers“I feel sorry for Matt Smith. He has never been given a real run with players who can give him the service from wide that we have now. He is not even getting on from the bench.” The 27-year-old ex-Oldham and Leeds striker “doesn’t have the movement, touch or finesse of Martin for our system”. “The Smith conundrum rattles on. If he doesn’t play, he may as well go sick until January and leave”, “He does hold the ball up well and he poses a threat in the air. He can also help in defence at corners and set pieces”, “A team-minded squad player who will keep himself fit and give his all when asked.” Chris Martin“You want your strikers to get you goals, but Martin’s build-up and hold-up play, as well as the way he brings others into the game are quality. You need to take his overall game into account when thinking about keeping him”, “He’s very astute with good touches and helps us hold a higher line.”  The 28-year-old is on a season-long loan from Derby with Fulham having an option to sign the former Canary. “He is what we have been missing for two seasons, a forward who stays up and moves out wide if he has to. Unlike Ross McCormack he doesn’t drop deep and so often is in the right position.” Not everyone is convinced. “We have done well despite him rather than because of him. His good runs and positions are often ignored and he is noticeably less quick than the rest of the team. He’s a round peg in a square hole”, “He loves the club and the family atmosphere from fans and the staff.” Cottagers’ Views on ITFC and the Game“Ipswich must be scared to death. Can anyone refresh my memory of the score the last time we played Ipswich on Boxing Day? It was at home in 1963 and maybe history will repeat itself”, “Since beating them 10-1 on Boxing Day 1963, we have never beaten Ipswich either home or away.” “That is remarkable. Then any kind of win is more than overdue I would have thought. Man-for-man we are better than them. It's just proving it on the day”, “We need to make sure we kill off the game at Ipswich and don’t allow the comebacks which happened against Derby or Wolves to be repeated.” The Cottagers’ predictions polls have not really had much feedback but they are travelling to Suffolk with high expectations. “Have we sold many tickets for this Boxing Day cracker? I have a feeling this could be our best away result of the season so far”, “Going forward we should scare them for sure.” “Ipswich must be shaken to see the squad we have coming for them. The mighty Whites will be back to winning ways come Boxing Day”, “If we can get five against high flyers like Reading, surely there is a chance that sometime this season we could hit seven or eight if the players fancy doing so?” “It could be a typical Mick McCarthy thug team performance with gamesmanship, niggly fouls and the odd bit of violent conduct thrown in. Hope we can stand up to it better than recently”, “We will have to be good at defending set pieces and the aerial threat. I’m worried that we will miss Kalas.” News that former Town loan signing Ryan Tunnicliffe has been linked with a move away from the club has met with a muted response. “This season the standard in midfield has been raised by McDonald and Johansen. Tunnicliffe just isn't good enough now”, “Not good enough for this team” “I reckon Tunnicliffe is an OK squad player to fill in for the odd game”, “He's very average, he is nothing more than a squad player”, “Whilst not good enough to play regularly, he can at least do a useful job in the odd game here and there.” WebsitesThe busiest Fulham message-board is the courteous and knowledgeable Friends of Fulham. One small final note is just to wish everyone the happiest of Christmases and all good wishes for the coming year. Thank you so much for your comments and feedback which have added so much helpful insight to the notes this season and which are hugely appreciated.
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