Trudging towards Hammersmith after his team had lost 7-0, a disaffected (and slightly inebriated) Luton fan was doing his best to upset his smiling counterparts: “Fulham will be rinsed in the next two seasons in the Premier League,” he repeated over and over again.
The metaphor is unfamiliar, but I get the general import. The Whites – having lorded it over most of the other Championship teams – will find life a lot harder among the elite.
That Luton gent must have been delighted when he heard about Fulham’s visit to Sheffield United on the last full day of the season where the champions were humiliated 4-0.
This embarrassing result might have been anticipated. The team’s performance in that all-important victory over Luton was the glorious exception in a tired and sometimes uncommitted run of seven matches that yielded just seven points.
Inevitable?
Possibly a month before the season ended, the players seemed to conclude that promotion was inevitable and that they could relax. Whereas their final opponents Sheffield United had plenty of motivation for Saturday’s encounter. They needed a victory to ensure a play-off place and even with some first-teamers out of action they had no trouble beating Fulham.
In the 10th minute, Oliver Norwood’s centre allowed an unmarked Morgan Gibbs-White to nod past Paulo Gazzaniga. The goalkeeper, getting a rare chance in the starting line-up, should have saved this.
Another player who would like a regular spot, Jean-Micharl Seri, was at fault with the second. As Fulham laboriously played from the back, Seri lost his footing and watched Sande Berger and Gibbs-White lay on a goal for Iliman Ndiaye. This trio conspired again with Berge scoring from close-range. Only Fabio Carvalho seriously threatened the keeper, Hammersmith’s Wes Foderingham.
It was so easy for Enda Stevens to add a fourth after the interval, and on the hour Aleksandar Mitrovic was substituted, having shown little sign of beating the club record of 43 league goals in a season.
Thus, Sheffield won the right to face Nottingham Forest in the play-offs, while Fulham finished just two points ahead of Bournemouth. Even in defeat the Whites created a record of sorts. Not since 1939 have league champions lost so heavily in the final match. I was in my cradle when Southend beat Newport County 5-0 and I remember thinking ‘That will never happen to Fulham’.
Too much celebrating
As for Saturday’s debacle Marco Silva agreed that the performance had not reached the right level; there had been too much celebrating beforehand. Apart from that the management team and those responsible for signing new players have had an outstanding season.
Credit too should go to Shahid Khan, who has spent nearly half a billion pounds more than he has received from owning Fulham. The ground now looks amazing whilst retaining the unique appearance and atmosphere of Craven Cottage.
The club now has to select a squad suitable for the higher level. After a promising start by Gazzaniga, Silva opted for Marek Rodak as regular keeper. With relatively few injuries the manager could rely on a limited group of defenders – Kenny Tete, Tosin, Antonee Robinson and especially Tim Ream.
Tim will be 35 in October and might have been seeking a new challenge, but the Khans have extended his contract. Joe Bryan and Neco Williams also made valuable contributions to the team’s success.
Harry Wilson and Fabio Carvalho have been outstanding in midfield and Harrison Reed and Neeskens Kebano deserve another chance in the Premier League. Kebano’s contact has also been extended. It was a pity that the popular Tom Cairney was restricted by injuries and ill health to just 16 starts in the Championship.
Upfront – what is left to say about Mitro? He achieved so much for the club this season and though he did not quite break the FFC record his name will henceforth be linked with the great Frank Newton, who scored 43 goals in 1931-32. Back in 1976, I wrote that Newton’s tally was ‘unlikely to be equalled by any other Fulham striker’. Mitrovic proved me wrong.
It’s nearly time to renew my season ticket. See you again in August!
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
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