Jack and Loz Not at the Cottage - Blog 151

Date: 30th November 2020

Opposition: Leicester City

Score: 1-2

Fulham goal scorers: Lookman, Cav (pen!)

MOTM (football): Frankly, this is a difficult decision. Could it be Cav, switching off his nerves and stepping up for that penalty? Could it be Lookman for a scintillating performance culminating in that superb goal? Could it be Harrison Reed for ceaselessly sensing danger and seeing it off before it ever arrived? Could it be BBR, BAE at RWB? It could have been any of them (and possibly more) but in an all round excellent team performance one man was first among equals: Andre. Frank. Zambo. Anguissa. Powerful, commanding, incisive, implacable.

MOTM (non-football): Papa Bouba Diop was taken much too soon but he was looking down on his old club on Monday night and the players did him proud with their tenacity and fighting spirit 🖤

Drinks: Jack - San Pellegrino aranciata; Loz - a Ruben Loftus-Cheeky glass of Chardonnay

We started this blog over 6 years ago when a top half Championship finish felt like an impossible dream, never mind two trips to Wembley and two promotions back to the Premier League. We have blogged about big games before of course, and important games and even perfect games. But we have never written a blog about an away win against a top 4 Premier League side and, Franky, we have to keep pinching ourselves to make sure it really happened: that we really went to Leicester on a cold, wet winter’s evening, and Scott Parker really conducted a tactical master class, and we really played a game of defensive solidity and fast counterattacks. And we really.....won.

Frankly, Fulham have been more frustrating than usual recently. There have been a lot of good performances but too few points, a lot of skilful play and relentless hard work marred by poor decision making and naivety. But we could see, particularly in the narrow losses to West Ham and Everton that the team had the makings of something. That we were a few clinical finishes and a smidgen of defensive understanding away from coming good.

And on Monday night, unexpectedly, against one of the best teams in the league, it happened.

For most of the match, Fulham looked, Frankly, not just like a Premier League team, but the best team on the pitch. Between hitting the bar in the opening minutes and scoring their consolation goal, Leicester didn’t know how to deal with opponents as wily as the Foxes usually are. We are used to a decent midfield, a shaky defence and an inconsistent attack. On Monday we had a brilliant midfield, a strong, well organised defence and a lighting fast, dagger sharp attack.

This was a different way to play football. No slow, safe possession, no swinging in crosses and hoping for the best. No faffing around at the back, silly short corners or strange sub strategies. Frankly, we don’t remember the last time Fulham played a fast counter attacking game, never mind played it so effectively. It helps that we now have the personnel for it. Of the starting 11, only 3 players featured last year and Bobby played in a different position, Harrison was often injured and Cav rarely started.

Watching a pacy, white clad counter attacking hoard marauding down the pitches of top Premier League sides is going to take some getting used to, but what a pacy, white clad hoard of marauders they are! Antoneeee, so fast he creates space and even time for himself; Lookman, as slippery as quicksilver and just as enthralling to watch; Cav, strong, purposeful and brave; Harrison, scampering, agile and alert with his interceptions and his blocks. And, of course, Frank - silky, classy, so good at football he makes it look effortless. The perfectly weighted pass for Lookman’s goal was sublime.

But every marauding hoard needs a solid defence behind them. A unit to soak up the pressure, foil the opposition and then spring the attackers loose. Joachim Andersen is a young man who has only been at Fulham, on loan, for a short time but on Monday night he was a Fulham captain as good as almost any - vocal, invested, visibly proud of his promotion. Next to him, Tosin had his best game for us yet. Aina was impressive but all 3 were overshadowed by Fulham’s newest and best defender. Bobby-Bobby Reid has always been a versatile player and he’s always been a forward willing and capable of tracking back. But as a wing back he was a revelation - tough, composed, and alert, there wasn’t a blade of grass on the pitch untouched by Bobby’s flying feet and he used his pace and experience as a striker to win the penalty.

A word here on RLC who didn’t shine quite as brightly as his teammates. But he was manhandled and heavily marked, drawing defenders away from Lookman and Cav. It was harsh on TC, who has been playing well recently to be dropped, but this wasn’t the game for his slow, precise passes or his quiet leadership. Mitro made the most of his cameo with some clever game management but, Frankly, had he and Tom started the match, we wouldn’t have won it.

Leicester are, of course, an excellent team and we didn’t have it all our own way but although they had a lot of possession it was mainly in midfield and, Franky, we thwarted most of their attacks quite easily, including defending set pieces calmly and competently. A lot of the time, when we had possession, especially with the two goal cushion, we were toying with them. Fulham! Teasing a top 4 team! Lookman should have made it 3 around 70 minutes Schmeichael showed his quality. Leicester came to life after their goal and we lived dangerously for a while but we were still full of running and strength and this wasn’t the Fulham of times past which would crumble under pressure.

This was a vital and impressive win and a fitting tribute to a lost hero. But it also a quest for redemption which both Lookman and Cav achieved. We have to salute Cav’s courage again - to step up and take a penalty only days after missing the last, crucial one and to take it so well says far more about Cav than his unspectacular performances of late.

Cav said it was Scott who gave him the confidence to take the penalty and really, despite that moment and Bobby’s performance and Frank’s exquisite game, the whole match was about Scott Parker. He picked an unlikely line up and devised a risky strategy but, as he said afterwards, he believes in his team and that belief was justified. Every player gave 100% in terms of work rate and execution of Scott’s plan. His game management was good - the starting 11 were playing so well that we didn’t want any of them to be replaced but the late late subs shored up the defence and ran down the clock. That final short short corner to see out the last few seconds was the best we’ve ever taken.

We have said it before and no doubt we will have to say it again: Scott is still learning the role and sometimes he mistakes but he has put his heart and soul in the Club and he puts them on the line every time he sends his players out to play for us. He has brought us back to the Premier League, this time with a fighting chance of staying in it. Let’s stick with him and see how much further we can go.

Random musings:-

- thanks to Leicester for the lovely photo of Papa displayed during the minute’s applause

- as for Lookman, our number 19 holding up Papa’s number 19 Senegal shirt was both fitting and poignant

- Scott looked like he meant business with his collar turned up against the cold and the criticism. As usual, he celebrated the goals as passionately as a fan, then carefully neatened his hair

- on the subject of hair, Fofana needs to get rid of that lilac rinse

- at one point it was raining very hard. Not cats and dogs but badgers and foxes

- just as we were wondering if we could hang on, Joe Bryan brought on a note saying, apparently, “hang on”……

- …..and they did.

We have been Fulham fans for a long time. Long enough to have watched Papa Bouba Diop in his prime and long enough to know that as good as the performance against Leicester was and as amazing the result it doesn’t mean we’ve found a winning formula and that the rest of the season will be easy.

But, considering the quality of the opposition, that was one of the best matches Fulham have played since we were beating European giants. This is a team which is as compelling as they are resilient. We can’t wait to watch them play again. For the first time in a very long time it feels like we really belong in the Premier League.