Let’s not judge Andreas Pereira so harshly

The season is now fully underway and beginning to take shape. Performance-wise, Fulham have little to complain about. They’ve matched each team they’ve played, and for spells in each game they have controlled proceedings. There’s a case for us having seven points, but I think four is a fair enough reflection of where we are right now.

Marco has opted to field the same XI for each game. He’s has put together a team that is built on passing and retaining that possession in high areas of the pitch. The team moves up the pitch and aims to pass through the opposition or work the ball into an area where there is time and space for a quality cross into the box. Fulham are currently ranked at fourth in the league for the number of passes. They are second in the league for the number of crosses.

An uncomfortable position?

The player that epitomises this tactic most is Andreas Pereira, who is currently playing as an eight. Without the midfield enforcer in Joao Palhinha, Andreas is playing a deeper role for his passing and crossing ability. He has already notched 35 crosses this season, the highest in the league. He has also created the most chances of any Fulham player in the league. But notably, he has not registered one assist. Saying he is important to how Fulham play at this level is an understatement. He’s the only player who consistently takes risks on the ball, presses high and is effective in transition going each way. But his foundations as a Fulham player are playing as a 10.

Marco Silva has been forced to expand Pereira’s role. Joao’s departure was inevitable, and Pereira has shown true commitment by offering himself up as an eight. To some degree it has worked very well; Fulham look much more comfortable playing out from the back with him dropping deeper to pick up the ball. Sasa Lukic is flourishing alongside him, and putting another player as his partner could upset Lukic’s balance. Andreas played as an eight when he was at Flamengo in Brazil and had some success playing in that role when Flamengo reached the Copa Libertadores final.

Andreas still has some convincing to do when it comes to reprising this role in London, though. When Fulham ventured to Portman Road, Andreas’s passing was accurate, but his crossing was only 14% accurate. For someone who has the most crosses in the league, his overall crossing success rate currently sits at 34%, meaning just 12 of his 35 crosses have found a teammate. That isn’t to say his crosses aren’t good enough, and this isn’t to say Andreas should stop crossing the ball – in fact, quite the opposite. Theres an argument that his teammates should be getting on the end of those crosses more frequently. We could be examining Muniz’s movement. We could also be studying how the team generally attacks from set-pieces. But Andreas is under scrutiny as an eight, and that’s because of the nature of that position.

The complexities of the eight

Andreas Pereira has taken on one of the most difficult positions on the pitch. He’s taking on a lot more responsibility. You could argue he’s doing too much. The quality of the final pass is paramount at this level. Failing to execute the final pass correctly can ruin even the simplest of chances. Take Marcus Rashford’s square ball for Alejandro Garnacho at Old Trafford on the opening day, it wasn’t the greatest pass, and the result was Garnacho missing a sitter. Garnacho takes the larger portion of the blame, but there was blame to be apportioned.

Pereira is trying to pass and cross the ball to death; the sheer number of his passes in the build-up and the additional movement mean that by the time it comes to his final ball he might not have the capacity to compose himself and add that quality. He’s already travelled 50 yards because he’s receiving the ball much deeper. When playing as a 10, Andreas doesn’t have to be the one who starts the move. He’s already higher up the pitch, and he can better apply himself to the final phases.

I don’t think this is the last we’ll see of Andreas Pereira as an eight this season, there are more defensive options for that midfield area that could make his life a little easier. Which is why the signing of Sander Berge could prove so important as the season goes on. Additionally, when Joachim Andersen steps in as a ball playing centre-back he can share the responsibility of ball progression with Andreas, who can then look at receiving the ball a little later on in a passing move. It might make his stay in the number eight position more tenable.

Shuffling the pack

Emile Smith Rowe is so versatile I can also see him being pushed wider to play off the left and Andreas being pushed back up to 10, leaving Lukic and Berge in behind him. That could also be the perfect balance. That said, I think we’re some way off that; Emile Smith Rowe’s fitness when tracking back against an attacking full-back is a concern. Plus, moving Emile to the left means Marco would have to pick between Alex Iwobi and Adama Traore who have made good starts to the season. Marco is unlikely to start picking favourites now. The team has options and quality in attacking areas, so Marco’s selection will now be under greater scrutiny as a result.

Ultimately, Andreas Pereira gives so much to Fulham; he is heavily involved in almost everything Fulham do. There will be games where over the course of 90 minutes he provides multiple openings for teammates, including the pass before the assist and the assist itself. The Fulham fanbase need to be careful about being overly critical. Fulham have not figured out their best XI yet. The midfield area is a work in progress. Pereira is doing the team a big favour moving further back to do some of the grittier work required in a football match. So far, the only obvious unforced error was Andreas’s poor pass that gifted Ipswich possession and led to Delap’s opening goal at Portman Road.

Pereira will want to notch an assist or goal quickly to make up for that. Perhaps a game against a team which he has a great record against is the place to do just that (West Ham). Knowing Andreas, he probably can’t wait for that opportunity. It is a long season, the jury is still out on Andreas as an eight. If it all goes pear shaped, then his influence as a 10 is a great alternative to have. Ipswich was Fulham’s last game in August, and a wise man once said that is not exactly the best time to judge them.