It Looks Like Fulham Will Bounce Straight Back to the Premier League Next Season
Relegation is every player and fan’s worst nightmare. Being relegated and losing the manager who masterminded your promotion, and who also happens to be a club legend is twice as bad. So, when Scott Parker left Fulham for divisional rivals Bournemouth, supporters could have been forgiven for assuming the worst.
Thankfully, under Marco Silva the Cottagers have been excellent, so much so that they are in the race for automatic promotion. It’s a long season, but Fulham’s squad already appears ready to bounce straight back to the Promised Land.
An Unstoppable Aleksandar Mitrovic
The collective team transforms a decent side into one that can make it to the Premier League. However, sometimes players transcend the club. When we think of players with preposterous goal tallies, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo come to mind. Normally, Aleksandar Mitrovic wouldn’t make the cut, but it’s hard to argue with his stats this season.
Mitrovic already has 20 goals for Fulham alone, as well as a few goals on international duty. Nobody is saying he’s better than the players mentioned. Mitrovic has proven he needs to up his game outside of the Championship. Still, for the league, he’s easily the most potent striker around. Thanks to his goals, Fulham’s promotion hopes will never hit rock bottom.
Easing into Domestic Life
Domestic bliss is tough to find, but Fulham is a club packed with players who are happy with their daily routine. The international break throws a spanner in the works for supporters because the fixture list is broken up by World Cup Qualifiers and Nations League matches, but it’s worth noting that the same applies to footballers.
When they check their diaries to see what sports are on today and notice the European World Cup Qualifiers, such as Netherlands versus Norway and Wales versus Belgium in the last international break, they understand the need to adapt. Travelling and switching styles for a different manager is challenging. However, they were able to ease into normality with an easy win against Barnsley.
Plus, thrashing West Brom 3-0 – their last big test – will have given them all the confidence in the world going forwards.
Experience at the Right Time
Gaining promotion means peaking at the correct time. Fulham’s form is excellent, and it will need to remain consistent from now until next May. Sometimes, players find reliability hard, which is why clubs go through troughs.
In these instances, the people who have been on the sidelines can be very influential. Fulham had several injuries to key men early in the season, with Nathaniel Chalobah and Ivan Cavaleiro out for prolonged periods.
However, it could be a godsend in the next few weeks. As they return, these quality players will give the team extra impetus, bringing a new dimension to the squad. Plus, their wealth of experience will only be beneficial. Fulham has got this far without them, so imagine what the club will be like when they return.
Premier League football does seem likely for Fulham. After all, if the team can’t finish in the top two, there’s the safety net of the playoffs.
