The 2023/24 season: Fulhamish Roundtable

Now we’ve had a couple of weeks to collect our thoughts, the team reflect on a season that saw us consolidate our Premier League status.

Sammy James

The history books will show a forgettable 13th-placed finish, but the memories are much stronger than that. A cup run, eye-catching wins against big teams and Rodrigo’s mind-blowing rise from nowhere are just some of the things that will make 2023/24 one to recall in years to come.

I do hope that we can push forward next season and profit on our stability under Marco. A trophy or a European league finish might just make him our best manager ever.

Jack Collins

In some ways, it felt like this season was simultaneously better and worse than our last campaign. This iteration certainly felt more chaotic and fun in the way that we were able to beat some of the big boys, but equally lacked the consistency that saw us dispatch those below and around us last season. I think I enjoyed it more, although I will caveat that with the fact that one point from four West London Derby games is disappointing when you consider the seasons we all had. There is a base here for something special, but this summer is truly so important in order to allow Marco to build on that and let us dream once more. You Whites.

Farrell Monk

I cannot pretend that the season has not been difficult from a personal point of view, as troubles continue off the pitch. Questioning my own commitment to the club when CEO Alastair Mackintosh openly admits that the supporters mean nothing to Fulham. However, this is massively counteracted by everything else. Although there are more headline-grabbing moments from another successful Silva season, I think of that day at West Ham in April. I had spent time with friends all day, old and new. Bumping into others I had met supporting Fulham along the way. After a bad run, the team had comfortably beat a top 10 side away from home. Post-whistle it felt that the whole away end was together in showing how much this team meant to us as the players all came over in unison to take it all in. I turned to a mate and said, “After everything, today has been a wonderful reminder why we keep doing this”.

Dom Betts

In a word: Mid-table
In a sentence: Had a great cup run and some big results, but ultimately a slightly disappointing end.

A longer explanation:
I think with the loss of Mitrovic and no replacement (Jimenez was signed before the sale) a lot of Fulham fans were quite pessimistic going into the season. We then had the two 5-0 wins and the league Cup run to the semis, knocking out Spurs and gaining a shoot-out win over Everton, which gave us something to enjoy as was our first domestic semi-final in over 20 years.

We then bounced back from the cup exits (both in the same week) with a few big wins over Bournemouth, Utd and Brighton, but then it all became quite dull. Although another mid-table season (nothing to complain about), it’s been very different to 2022/23 as we basically beat everyone below us and lost to everyone above us. However this season has been opposite – wins over Arsenal, Spurs, United, Brighton and West Ham – and it is nice to say we have potentially stopped Arsenal’s title bid with them dropping five points to us.

Going into the summer with us making a profit on transfers this season we hope it’s a summer of investment with an ageing squad and some bright young sparks like Muniz and Stansfield on loan at Birmingham and our U23s winning the PL Cup. Hopefully some signings to push us on to a top 10 finish next season. However I do feel one of Palhinha or Robinson will be off this summer. But as most Fulham fans will say – In Marco we trust

Dan Cooke

This was a season defined by moments rather than ultimate outcomes. I might forget the overall campaign, but I’ll never forget being held in the arms of a stranger at Goodison Park as Tosin approached the penalty spot. I’ll never forget whipping my top off at Old Trafford as Iwobi stroked home the winner. I’ll never forget hearing, while driving away from a glacier in rural Iceland, that Rodrigo Muniz had scored a scissor kick in added time. Flawed yet unforgettable, Fulham Football Club.

Jack Kelly

Another special season for Fulham. A shoot-out win to progress to the Carabao Cup semi-finals, a win at Old Trafford and defeating Arsenal and Spurs (twice!) were the standouts in another enthralling season of being a Fulham fan. From the press box to the stands, it’s been a joy. Muniz, Robinson, Bassey, Palhinha and every player in the black and white shirt have given us some lifelong memories. Marco Silva and his staff deserve enormous credit. I love this club, and I’m so excited for the future, COYW!

Drew Heatley

The difficult second season: conquered. It was going to take a very special campaign to beat 2022/23, so the fact that we’re debating which was better says a lot. Personally, this campaign was too messy, too inconsistent, to trouble our triumphant return to the Premier League. That said, it’s widely acknowledged that the sophomore season is harder, and we made it look relatively easy – and we could’ve achieved much more. The platform’s been built. Now, it’s time to build – or we risk repeating the mistakes of the past.

George Cooper

Safe to say, as a fanbase we experienced the full spectrum of emotion that supporting a club can offer this season… Heartbreak at our hero leaving, only for an unlikely new one to arise from the outskirts of Rio. Runs of free-flowing goal-scoring glory, followed by long spells of not being able to hit a cow’s ass with a banjo. The euphoria of sticking it to some of the top six, mixed with humblings from the shit-munchers. Overall, it’s been another very enjoyable season supporting our wonderfully weird football club, and we have a team to be proud of. Let’s get Europe next season!

Elizabeth Barnard

It’s impossible not to look back on this season and feel it was pretty fabulous on the pitch – and all credit goes to Marco Silva’s coaching. Losing Mitrovic could have been catastrophic, but Rodrigo Muniz’s zero to hero arc is the story of the season and that’s down to his coaching. Our 3-1 win over Bournemouth was my favourite of the season – Rodrigo Muniz brace, a comprehensive win, and being back at the Cottage celebrating three goals with my dad who’d been away for a year. That’s what football’s about!

Jack Stroudley

On a personal level this season hasn’t been great; I’ve seen one win all year after giving up my season ticket for work, but Fulham as a whole have been relatively successful.

Despite losing Mitrovic and sides below us last year improving, we managed to avoid any concerns over relegation for basically the whole year.

That coupled with a first ever Carabao Cup semi final and historic wins over Manchester United and Arsenal make this a successful campaign. Hopefully we can continue to develop and I get to see us win multiple games of football!

George Rossiter

Marco Silva continues to work his magic at Craven Cottage. For all of the consistency and brilliance of our first season back, it was 2023/24 where some truly special memories were made. A win at Old Trafford in the dying moments on top of wins against Arsenal and Spurs at the Cottage put the doubts over our ability to beat big sides in the bin. The penalties victory at Goodison to make a first league cup semi final was unbelievable and being in Merseyside that evening was something I’ll never forget. And hey, despite the loss of Mitro, we still matched last year’s goal tally. God bless you Rodrigo Muniz. God bless you Marco Silva.

Cam Ramsey

Second consecutive Premier League season navigated without jeopardy or controversy. I’d say that’s a job well done by Marco and his camp. Given our talisman in Mitrovic left for golden pastures new, the Whites coped suitably well without a proven, out-and-out bagsman and with the meteoric rise of Big Rod, we now have cause for optimism heading into the summer, and beyond.

Finishing 13th is something to be proud of, and I mean that. We’ve ended long-standing hoodoos, we’ve scored five without reply twice and we even played our part in the title race. Silva’s steadied the ship, we’re destined for another season in the Barclays and if our gaffer’s ambitions are to be believed, we’re in for a corker come kick-off. Get up.

Adam Farquharson

For me the 2023/24 season is best described as comfortable enjoyment of mediocrity. I can count on one hand the amount of times I was genuinely worried about relegation, unfortunately on the other hand I can also count the number of times I dreamed of qualifying for European football.

Lowlight: Getting an Adama Traore shirt only for him to go missing for what felt like years much to the delight of everybody behind row FF in the Johnny Haynes stand who cared to remind me.

Highlight: Buying overpriced popcorn in the Riverside Stand as a joke to toast the craziness of seeing Rodrigo Muniz playing as our main striker vs Spurs in the cup. Only to be proven tremendously wrong and the man turn into a genuine contender for player of the season.

Joe Sansom

I would have snapped your hand off for safety during the summer – and even during the November international break! With that in mind this season has been another great success, and I’m confident we can go one better soon and push on to the next level. My one ask now is that we keep pushing for more (like Jack Kelly’s growing replica shirt collection) and have a big window.