Cottage POV

Marco Silva’s third phase – as I keep calling it – has drawn plaudits from national media early on this season; whilst coming with typically lazy top level analysis that comes from the likes of Match of the Day and outside of the club coverage, the meaning is there at least. This is when I always believe the real season starts, the flurry of games sees the table shake out with more potential of momentum and form to take over as opposed to the broken up start of the season, we’ll play 9 games between now (as I type) and the 6th January vs the 11 we’ve played in 3 months.

I wanted to delve into the squad, the larger squad which will likely be required over the next 6 weeks of intense Premier League action. Though the Championship core will think this is easy given the understated volume of games they go through, the Premier League is its own beast.

Marco Silva has done a great job putting together this squad to have strength in depth and perhaps more importantly, containing players that can do many things if required. I’ve mocked up a “depth” line up below based on the last starting eleven but of course it ignores details that Alex Iwobi for example is more than capable of playing right, left or through the middle whilst Harry Wilson has shown for Wales he can be productive in the 10 also. That’s just scratching the surface, Sasa Lukic is back who can cover Sander Berge in the holding role whilst both are capable of stepping forward into the 8 with the currently holder of that position is Andreas Pereira who can move forward into the 10 if required. That flexibility to do more than one role continues with early transfer rumours for January with Manchester City’s James McAtee whilst largely an advanced central midfielder akin to Emile Smith Rowe has decent experience playing off of the right hand side, in fact, the majority of his goal involvements on loan at Sheffield United last season were from out wide as opposed to centrally. One to watch…

Competition in theory brings performance with players wanting starting spots and starters not wanting to lose theirs. Take Kenny Tete for example, I honestly thought we were staring at the end of Tete’s time at Fulham following Timothy Castagne’s imperious debut campaign at the club. Whilst Kenny’s contract still leaves future question marks (expires in the summer after taking the year extension option up in May), he has full control of the right back spot and it’s now Castagne who has to wait for his opportunity and then take advantage of the minutes when they come. Whilst still in defence, the left hand side hasn’t missed a minute in the Premier League this season with Jorge Cuenca coming on as a 5th centre half to try and see out a win at Everton being his only league minutes whilst Ryan Sessegnon is yet to make his return to Premier League football for Fulham, nor yet to play at Craven Cottage.

Fulham have done an excellent job creating depth, competition and seemingly still an excellent vibe about the squad. Harry Wilson has 4 goals in his last 4 games for club and country, 3 of them for Fulham in 16 minutes and he still may be on the outside looking in, arguably a more enticing option as a “closer” or “finisher” to fixtures. It’s easy to forget that Rodrigo Muniz has the striking position to start the season but uninspiring performances (amongst a new set up to be fair) opened the door for Raul Jimenez who has been excellent since his inclusion to the starting eleven and will likely lead the line against his former club today.

Fulham have had 8 different goal scorers in the Premier League this season, only behind Brighton & Hove Albion’s 11 and Tottenham Hotspur’s 9. Level with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, it displays Fulham can hurt you from multiple areas, positions and personnel (though we await the set piece goal which I fancy coming today).

Credit to the club (but mostly Marco Silva) for overseeing a squad that has lost starter after starter since promotion to the Premier League and has continued to evolve and develop in situations where most think you’re about to crumble. Losing Aleksandar Mitrovic and Joao Palhinha are the headliners but since promotion, Fulham have lost starters in Fabio Carvalho, Tosin, Bobby Decordova-Reid and Willian. Fulham have grown in average possession stats year on year from 2022/23 and appear to be becoming a real established Premier League side chasing European competition; a goal that will need a win today to continue.

Of course this all changes on a negative run of form, suddenly everybody is awful, we need to sell and change formation etc. Football is fun.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to today. Wolves are better than their form and position in the table. Joao Gomes and Mario Lemina are potential game destroyers, Rayan Ait-Nouri may be the underrated player in the league whilst Mateus Cunha is a terrific forward who has the freedom and ability to make things happen for the visitors today. Whilst it does feel like two teams in very different stages of their current Premier League eras, it should be an entertaining, competitive fixture. Up the Fulham.