Season Review: Fulham fall short once again

After a turbulent season, that at times showed great promise, Fulham ended up eleven points adrift, suffering their second relegation in three years.

Jamie Carragher famously condemned Fulham to relegation after a 3-0 loss to Aston Villa, only three games into the season. It was a terrible start for the Whites, who managed just one point from their opening six games. From there Scott Parker’s side grew; some impressive results over the next few months saw them become the favourites to escape relegation. However, they finished with a whimper, managing just two points from their final ten games, ensuring Championship football would once again be returning to Craven Cottage.

Carragher’s Comments

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That loss at home to Aston Villa at the end of September sent a real message to those in charge at the London club. Their squad that day boasted just three new signings and were comfortably beaten by a Villa side who had only just kept themselves afloat the season before. It was clear that the squad that got them promoted at Wembley was not going to be good enough to keep them up.

The spotlight was on the club and their recruitment and it almost appeared to be the catalyst for a flurry of late signings. Four players came in after that defeat to Villa, including some much needed defensive reinforcements. When provided with the requisite players, Parker started to mould his team into a much more pragmatic and dogged side.

Andersen Arrives

One of those signings was the deadline day acquisition of Joachim Andersen. The Danish international had struggled in his debut season at Lyon and did not appear to be in their plans for the 20/21 season. Fulham swooped in to sign the centre-back on loan and he transformed a leaky defence into a well-drilled unit.

He became the defensive leader that Fulham were clearly lacking. The stats above show the difference he made, almost halving the number of goals that the team were conceding per game. However, it was not his defensive qualities alone that made a difference. Andersen possesses an impressive passing range, which fits into Parker’s preference for playing out from the back; only his defensive partner, Adarabioyo, completed more passes in the Black and White this season.

Andersen is rumoured to have suitors among the Big 6 having impressed this season, so we could well see him back in the Premier League in August.

Leicester City

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The revival finally resulted in points, with an impressive win away at Leicester. It was a new-look Fulham, five at the back, talisman Mitrović benched, it was a signal of the direction Parker wanted to move in. They defended resolutely and looked dangerous on the counter, unrecognisable from the team just two months earlier; just four players started both the defeat to Villa and the win against Leicester.

They went on to lose just one of their following seven games, including a point at home to reigning champions Liverpool and a point away at fellow London club, Spurs. However, despite losing just one, they failed to win any. Drawing with fellow strugglers Brighton, Newcastle, Southampton and Burnley.

Here lies one of the key reasons that Fulham will be back in the Championship. The Cottagers managed just five wins over the course of the season, picking up thirteen draws (second only to Brighton). The inability to turn tight games, especially against teams around them, into wins meant they occupied the third relegation spot from the 13th December right through to the end of the season.

Marvellous on Merseyside

On the 6th February, the Whites were eight points from safety, and things looked bleak. Fast-forward five weeks and Parker’s men were striding off the pitch at Anfield, with a memorable three points that saw them in the drop-zone on goal difference alone. It was their second triumph on Merseyside in a month, after a first ever Premier League win away at Everton.

Three wins and two draws in those five weeks suddenly had everyone praising the London side. A game against Newcastle on the final day of the season was being heralded as the relegation play-off, winner takes all; it wasn’t to be.

Maybe the weight of expectation became too much for the Londoners, or maybe they simply ran out of steam, but to finish so far adrift from such a promising position has left a very sombre atmosphere on the banks of the Thames.

Midlands Meltdown

At the end of the season it is easy to look back at games that changed the course of a season. For Fulham, it was Aston Villa away. For seventeen minutes, the Londoners found themselves out of the relegation spots, after a recalled Mitrović gave them the lead with half an hour to go.

What followed was a capitulation of epic proportions and potentially the game that irreparably damaged squad morale. Three goals conceded in nine minutes saw the Whites dumped back into eighteenth and left licking their wounds.

The following week saw them concede a stoppage time winner to Wolverhampton Wanderers and their hopes of survival were all but mathematically gone. They didn’t recover from these two bitter defeats and it certainly feels like the week where the season could’ve ended very differently for them.

Transfer Business

Much was made of Fulham’s transfer dealings the last time they were in the top-flight. Over £100m spent, only to see them succumb to relegation with five games still remaining. The squad at the end of the season bore no resemblance to the Championship squad that got them promoted.

This time round, the club seemed intent on not making the same mistakes. There were no big money signings, instead they looked for value. Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson both signed for less than £3m. Tosin Adarabioyo appearing a veritable steal at less than £2m. The loan signing of Harrison Reed was made permanent for £8m. Lessons appeared to have been learned.

However, there is always an equilibrium that should be sought. Promotion through the play-offs is usually a sign that new players are required to lift the squad to Premier League standards. It was clear that the squad they started the season with was not good enough, too few players were signed in time for the opening games, perhaps due to being overly self-aware of their previous transfer failings.

This meant late signings were once again needed – a lesson that wasn’t learned from their previous top-flight campaign. Three loanees came in on deadline day and as is to be expected, it took the players time to settle.

In general, the club made good signings. Loanee Alphonse Areola was named as Player of the Season and Joachim Andersen assumed the captaincy midway through the season. However, Parker has been critical of how late the deals were done, and if he had been provided with this squad earlier, Fulham may have put up a bigger fight. 

Seven loan signings has also meant that another rebuild is needed in the summer as core players return to their parent clubs. 

Player of the Season

The loan signing of Alphonse Areola came as a bit of a surprise. Having risen through the ranks at PSG, he had recently completed a loan spell at La Liga champions Real Madrid. The French goalkeeper came in and replaced Marek Rodak as the Whites’ first choice keeper and never looked back. 

What followed was an inspired season from a man desperate to secure a spot in the French squad for the Euros (unfortunately for him, to no avail). He kept his side in games with some superb shot-stopping, but also demonstrated a good command of his area, providing a calmness between the sticks. 

Areola has the largest positive disparity been the post-shot xG that he’s faced, and the number of goals he’s conceded. Put simply, he has conceded almost eight fewer goals than you would expect, based on the quality of shots he’s faced. He also ranks third for the number of crosses claimed – numbers that reflect a confident, assured goalkeeper. The stats are a testament to the season he has had, and Fulham fans will remember him fondly.

Unspoken Underachievement

Scott Parker has received a lot of praise this season, praise at times which some might question whether it was befitting of a relegated side. 

Having seen their mid-season form, and the undoubted quality that was within the squad, it certainly feels that the Cottagers ended up underachieving. To finish seventeen points off Newcastle speaks volumes about how invaluable experience can be in football. In the final throws of the season, Steve Bruce’s side stood up and won vital points. Fulham, on the other hand, wilted. 

Where the blame lies between Parker, the players or the recruitment is uncertain, and the answer is most likely a mix of all three. What is for certain though is that everyone at the club will feel like they had a real chance of survival, and the fizzling out of their season will have hurt.

Next Season

There seems to be quite a lot of uncertainty surrounding the club at the moment. Scott Parker has been seemingly hesitant to explicitly commit to managing the Whites next season. Meanwhile, those in charge have remained largely silent since relegation. It’s anyone’s guess as to whether Parker is weighing up a job elsewhere, or if the owners are deciding that Parker is no longer the man they want, but it feels like a definite decision is needed soon.

It’s going to be a big couple of months at the Cottage. Seven loan players will be returning to their respective clubs and there are rumours around the departures of Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa, Aleksandar Mitrović and Tosin Adarabioyo already. These players will need to be shrewdly replaced, as a large transfer pot is unlikely due to financial fair play restrictions and the ongoing costs of the new Riverside Stand.

Regardless of who will manage them in the Championship next season, the aim will be an instant return to the top-flight once again. The infrastructure that is being put in place by Shahid Khan, the owner, shows that he wants and expects Fulham to be in the Premier League. Therefore, it is unlikely that he would settle for anything less than promotion.

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