Two years ago, it was apparent that Fulham FC had some players who were just not good enough for the Premier League. That side was relegated by some distance. Astonishingly many of them are not only still at the club, but holding down first team places.

It is not their fault that the Championship is the highest level for players of their ability. No-one should blame them for taking the field and doing their best for Fulham in the Premier League. They are being selected because there is nobody else.

Aboubakar Kamara was clearly not a Premier League forward two years ago. He was hardly a standout in the Championship either with just four goals in 25 games. Against Arsenal, his size was more of a problem for Gabriel and Rob Holding than his ability.

As unsuitable as he is as a forward at this level, his introduction as the back up right back when Kenny Tete was injured last night defies an adjective.

Denis Odoi is a solid right back at Championship level but lacks the height to be a centre half. Tete was rightly brought in to supersede him at full back. Yet Odoi has started all three losses.

Tim Ream is not a Premier League centre half, though like the above two, no criticism can be made of his effort. Parker’s loyalty to him is commendable but the club’s need to bring in a player above the American and Michael Hector in the pecking order is apparent.

“The transfer deadline for signings from Premier League or foreign teams is next Monday. Tony Khan has five days to save Fulham’s season.”

Tom Cairney was one of the few Fulham players who had a decent outing against Villa. But way too often, there was nothing ahead of him to aim a pass at. Only Joe Bryan consistently provided an outlet and Joe Bryan is Fulham’s left back.

Aleksander Mitrovic is a good finisher but you need to be more than that when you occupy the centre forward berth for a team in the lower half of the top tier. But the Serbian’s problem is that he is like John McEnroe with less talent and an even lower fraction of the ability to make opponents play badly with his verbals.

He spent way too much of the game arguing with referee Stuart Atwell and hilariously, or maybe sadly ,when told to get on with the game, continued the appeal to Villa’s centre half Tyrone Mings.

What’s Mings going to do? Award Fulham a free kick?

Additionally, Mitrovic’s finishing was pretty poor last night. That’s no-one else’s fault. Not even the referee.

Fulham did spend big on a keeper.

Alphonse Areola has conceded seven goals in two games. It’s not that he is a bad keeper or any of the goals were his fault, but was he enough of an improvement over Marek Rodak to have made this a priority?

Some of the other starters last night may fare better if the lower half of the team sheet is upgraded.

Ivan Cavaleiro and perhaps less likely Bobby Decordova-Reid fit into that category. Josh Onomah certainly does. André-Frank Zambo Anguissa remains a bit of an enigma to me.

Earlier in the season, I tweeted that Fulham were 3-4 players short of a team that could make an impact on this division. On last night’s evidence, I may have underestimated that by two.

The one outfield signing the club did make right back Kenny Tete was forced off with what appeared to be a left ankle injury. It has to be said that Villa players notably John McGinn and Jack Grealish made quite a bit of headway down his flank in the first 37 minutes before his departure.

It may be beyond painful to add that Ollie Watkins who would not have even needed to move house had he signed for Fulham from Brentford, also found that channel lucrative.

Another way of looking at the stagnancy at Craven Cottage is to hark back to the meeting these two sides had at Wembley in 2018 in the EPL Play off.

2018 Play off final coverage

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Shearer an inspiration for Fulham’s Mitrovic

The starting line ups that day were:

Aston Villa XI: Johnstone, Elmohamady, Chester, Terry, Hutton, Jedinak, Snodgrass, Hourihane, Grealish, Adomah, Grabban

Fulham XI: Bettinelli, Fredericks, Targett, Ream, Odoi, Johansen, Cairney, McDonald, Sessegnon, Kamara, Mitrovic

Of the Villans’ starting XI, Conor Hourihane and Jack Grealish played last night. Grealish was already reckoned to be above Championship level at the time. Hourhihane is an international.

But Sam Johnstone (WBA), James Chester (Stoke), John Terry (Villa Coach), Alan Hutton (retired), Mile Jedinak (retired), Robert Snodgrass (West Ham), Albert Adomah (Nottingham Forest) and Lewis Grabban (Nottingham Forest) are no longer playing for the club.

Of the Fulham XI, Hector, Odoi, Kevin McDonald (until this week), Mitrovic, Tom Cairney, Kamara, Stefan Johansen, and Tim Ream are still at the club. Seven of them played yesterday; six in the opening XI.

They were Championship players in 2018 and it has to be remembered, not in a winning side but in a side that only finished third in that division. That side also finished fourth in it last year and with seven less points. So they’re not even improving as a Championship side which on the last two occasions has not proved good enough to get automatic promotion.

For completion, it should be stressed that Josh Onomah was on the bench for Villa in the 2018 Final but Fulham last night. Matt Targett who started for Fulham is now at Aston Villa.

So how are the club addressing this?

Tony Khan is Vice Chairman and Director of Football Operations, and he also holds the roles of General Manager and Sporting Director.

Last night he tweeted:

I apologize to @FulhamFC supporters for our performance tonight. We’ve looked to add centre-backs since Wembley, I’m sorry we haven’t yet as 2 got COVID + we lost a Free we thought was close + had another issue with a 4th CB. I promise players in + better efforts from this squad.

— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) September 28, 2020

The transfer deadline for signings from Premier League or foreign teams is next Monday. Khan has five days to save Fulham’s season.

Selling clubs now know that Fulham are desperate. That should increase the price and make Scott Parker’s life even harder. Fulham’s slowness will cost them more than nine points.

Ethan Ampadu, a man who knows life in SW6 very well, has already signed for Sheffield United. No-one can tell fans that Fulham cannot compete with the Blades financially. Former Bee Ollie Watkins is gone but Ethan Pinnock is surely better than what they have.

Khan might rightly focus in the Premier League and overseas given the deadline but that doesn’t mean other clubs are not sniffing around the Premier League quality at the top of that league.

Some fans are beginning to suspect that the model may be Norwich City, whose owners have sworn not to bankrupt the club, to retain their EPL status. Relegation and subsequent promotion is part and parcel of that life.

That is known as being a yoyo club. That fear may well have been exacerbated by Khan’s tweet suggesting that was the state of the club he took over.

Was Khan unwise to use the term yoyo club in a tweet?

If that is the model, then is it fair to tell the fans? Now obviously the money being spent on the redevelopment of the Riverside Stand strongly suggests the club is more ambitious than that.

It’s also possible that Fulham’s intended targets have all reached dead ends for one reason or another. But surely the club is capable of chasing two players at once, so they don’t have to start at Square One when one trail ends.

Either way, Fulham’s unsuccessful forays into the transfer market are now the stuff of he last five week’s history. The future will be decided over the next five days.

Fans are holding their breath. Mr Khan will be well aware they are also holding their pitchforks.

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