I could write on and on about the specifics of the match, but most do not want to rehash these details and would rather read something about the team and boss Roy Hodgson.
As things stand, the Cottagers sit 15th in the table on 7 points. Not exactly where we were all hoping they would be at this point. But then again, the Whites are only three points in back of Everton, which is in 10th place. So, while the results have not been as we would like most matches, we are not very far off the top ten, which for me would mean another spectacular season for Roy Hodgson and his side.
Truth be told, between the Europa League and the Premier League, the last six weeks has been rough for the Whites in terms of the fixture list. In the eight matches I am referring to since August 30th when the Cottagers fell to Aston Villa 2-0, Fulham has had five road matches and three home matches. The Cottagers have played at the aforementioned Aston Villa, CSKA Sofia, Wolves, Manchester City and West Ham. The three home matches have not been a cake walk either as the Fulham has played host to Everton, Arsenal and most recently against FC Basel 1893.
In those eight matches Fulham as been victorious twice, drawn twice and lost four. Not the best of returns, but, we are top of the group in the Europa League group stage and sit 15th in the Premier League within shouting distance of the top 10.
That is a tough stretch of matches for any team, let alone a team that is not as deep as we would probably like. Although in watching some of the reserves like Zoltan Gera, David Stockdale, Diomansy Kamara, Jonathan Greening, Bjorn Helge Riise and others on the pitch has given me the belief that the depth we have in some areas is not as thin as I once thought.
Unfortunately, the month of October and into early November will remain tough for the Cottagers with home matches against Hull, Roma and Liverpool along with tests on the road at Manchester City and Roma. If the Cottagers can survive this five match stretch and still be in a decent position in the Premier League table, the Cottagers will have positioned themselves very well heading into the middle of November when the league fixture list gets easier with Wigan, Birmingham, Bolton, Blackburn, Sunderland and Burnley on the docket. That is not to say those will be easy wins for the Cottagers, but I would rather be playing these teams than Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Roma.
Thus, the rest of this month will be about survival for Fulham. The club must do what it can to remain afloat in the Premier League most importantly, and in the Europa League as well. If the Cottagers can remain competitive on both fronts, I can see a string of good results coming Fulham's way come the middle of November all the way through December 20th when they play Manchester United.
The aforementioned teams I mentioned that Fulham will play in November are matches that Fulham should do well in. There will not be any Europa League excuses either as between November 5th and December 3rd there are no matches in that competition which will allow the Cottagers to focus entirely on the league and hopefully get back inside the top ten.
If after the Burnley match on December 12th the Cottagers are still sitting around 15th in the table, that unfortunately might mean a top ten finish is not in the cards this season. Time will tell on that prediction, but for any club to be in the top ten come seasons end, that team must defeat the teams below them in the table and those teams around them in the table. You cannot count on beating the big four and other top half teams when trying to climb into the top ten. That is unrealistic and unlikely.
So for all of you, having watched this team for almost two months now in league play, how do you compare this team with others in the Premier League? Does this team have a better chance of a top ten finish or a scrape with relegation?
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