Some of the questions that come to mind are.....with only two summer signings, both of which are likely to play fringe roles, will Fulham have the depth required to compete in the Europa League and in the Premier League? Will the team feel any pressure after last season in which the team finished a club best 7th place? Will this team figure out how to play successfully and consistently on the road? With a little more than two weeks remaining in the transfer market will Roy Hodgson make any significant signings before Aug 31st? All of these questions will eventually have answers and they will go a long way in determining where and how this club finishes this season.
Before I move forward and give thoughts for this season, I want to take a moment to touch on last season. Fulham had a great season last year. Everything Roy Hodgson did seemed to work. The club had no significant injuries all season long, which is a rarity in club soccer/football. The Cottagers defeated Manchester United, Arsenal and drew with both Chelsea and Liverpool. The team finished with the 4th best defensive record in the Premier League. Before the start of last season the goal was simply not to get relegated. That goal was achieved without any problems at all.
As we end into this season it is difficult to tell how this team will perform. I think this club is solid. I love the way Roy Hodgson has molded this team into a solid defensive team, yet at the same time created an entertaining passing team and is fun to watch for supporters and non-supporters alike. The system Hodgson has instilled in the club will once again make the Cottagers a tough team to beat, specifically at Craven Cottage.
In looking at the club and wondering whether they can repeat last season's 7th place finish, I have my doubts. It is not as though I think Fulham is worse than last season, rather I feel the clubs around them competing for that 7th spot have gotten better and should challenge for the Europa League spots with the Cottagers.
Manchester City has spent silly money this season to improve its' squad. While some are predicting this team to compete for the title, I am one who feels they are still a year or two away from that. However, they definitely have enough talent to crack into the top seven which will put Fulham on the outside looking in at the Europa League spots.
Tottenham has too much talent to be an 8th place team in the Premier League. Despite an abysmal start to last season, Harry Redknapp's team righted the ship and nearly snatched 7th place from Fulham on the last weekend of the campaign. With new faces at White Hart Lane, I expect Spurs to be a force that has to be reckoned with for Europa League qualification.
Lastly, Sunderland has splashed some cash this summer and bolstered its' squad. I don't think the Black Cats can qualify for Europe, but I do feel they will finish inside the top ten. With the underrated Steve Bruce in charge at the Stadium of Light, I expect Sunderland to be a strong, competitive team all year long in the Premier League.
That leaves us with Fulham. While I expect Fulham to finish inside the top ten this season, I do not feel that the Cottagers have done enough this summer to be able to hang on to that 7th position come May when the sedason wraps up. The Cottagers were lucky last season not to have to deal with any serious injuries. I don't expect that to be the case this season. Someone at some point will get hurt and Fulham's depth will be tested. Unfortunately, after the first 12 or 13 players, I do not think the Whites have the depth in its' squad to overcome any kind of serious injuries.
The defense remains strong with Mark Schwarzer in goal and Brede Hangeland leading the back four. However, with Arsenal sniffing around, will Hangeland be around at the end of August or will the Gunners snap him up as many rumours suggest? If Hangeland leaves in late August or even in January, there will be a huge void in Fulham's back line that no one on the current squad can replace. Roy Hodgson and Mohamed Al-Fayed need to do everything they can to keep the Norwegian international at the club. If he leaves, so go any chances Fulham has of repeating last season's success.
In midfield, captain Danny Murphy was strong last year. He pulled the strings in the middle of the park and provided the experience and leadership skills this club so desperately needed. Additionally, the emergence of Dickson Etuhu in the holding midfield role was a surprise to all. After Jimmy Bullard left, many, myself included, thought there was no one to fill that void. Etuhu did step up and played very well after Bullard left. He showed us all that he belongs on this team and in the starting XI.
Up front, Andy Johnson, Bobby Zamora, Erik Nevland and Diomansy Kamara did an adequate job. Johnson will be expected to lead the line up front and improve his goal scoring numbers from one season ago when he scored 8 league goals. Zamora will need to improve his finishing as he had countless opportunities to score goals and failed most times. Zamora did start the Europa League in fine form with two goals and an assist in the Cottager's opening 3-0 win over FK Vetra in Vilnius, Lithuania in late July. Nevland may not be a starting forward for this club, but he is a fantastic sub off the bench for Roy Hodgson. If he can continue to make a positive impact in a sub role, that will give the Cottagers some confidence late in matches when he is on creating havoc for the opposition. The wild card in the bunch is Diomansy Kamara. The Senegalese international missed most of last season recovering from a torn ACL but did manage to make an impact the last month of the campaign. Personally, I like Kamara and I feel he might be the surprise package of the bunch if either Johnson, or more likely, Zamora, does not deliver the goods in the first couple weeks of the season. If Kamara can stay healthy and gets his chance to start week in and week out, I expect him to have a big season.
One thing that Fulham has that few clubs can match is a great manager. Roy Hodgson is one of the best in this league and he showed that last season in guiding Fulham to places the club has never been before. He took a club that was all but relegated the season before and turned them into a solid, cohesive unit that finished 7th in the league last season. As mentioned earlier, Hodgson has created a style of play that is pleasing on the eye with some solid passing in and through the midfield. Additionally, and more importantly, he has solidified the defense. For many years the Cottagers main problem has always been in the back four. Hodgson signed some gems in Hangeland, Schwarzer and Pantsil that turned things around defensively to make Fulham one of the best defensive teams in England.
While I might have some doubts right now about whether or not this team can repeat last season's success, I have no doubt that Roy Hodgson has the knowledge and know how to guide this club back to the Europa League despite the competition from other Premier League clubs being tougher this campaign. I am sure Roy has a few tricks up his sleeve. Whether it be an astute signing or two before the end of August or something else, I trust Roy and feel he will do his best to put this team in the best position to win matches both at home and on the road all season long. For what he has in the way of talent, Roy did more with less than any other manager in the Premier League last season.
One thing to keep in mind is that Fulham will not surprise anyone this season. While the Cottagers were usually battling against relegation the better part of the last 7 or 8 years, this club is different and big clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United will not take Fulham lightly this season. The Cottagers will have to be ready to take those teams and all the teams in the league's best punch throughout the entire campaign.
Overall, I think it will be another successful season for Fulham. I feel this team has the confidence after last season to do more special things in the league. If Hodgson can get his team to improve on the road, where the Cottagers only won three times last season, watch out for this team to repeat last season's success.
My 2009-2010 Premier League Predictions:
1. Chelsea
2. Manchester United
3. Liverpool
4. Arsenal
5. Everton
6. Manchester City
7. Aston Villa
8. Tottenham
9. Fulham
10.Sunderland
11.West Ham
12.Blackburn
13.Wigan
14.Bolton
15.Stoke City
16.Wolves
17.Portsmouth
18.Birmingham City
19.Hull City
20.Burnley
My question to all of you, what are your Premier League predictions? Where will Fulham finish?
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