Are Fulham not being clinical enough?

Following the second game in a painful week as a Fulham fan, losing the longest cup penalty shoot-out in English cup history in the most Fulhamish manner, we’re left to rue more missed chances and a lack of a clinical edge that could’ve allowed us to win the game in normal time.

Not good enough

We’ve been guilty of this in various games this season, swith some chances squandered against Ipswich, and although we won against Leicester they were lacking in many areas and could have conceded three or four instead of just two. Oh, and there was West Ham…

Although our points tally is healthy, the lack of a clinical edge mirrors the start of last season, and the numbers reflect that.

A familiar story

Last season, our first six games including cup competitions consisted of a tricky run with teams including Arsenal and Manchester City faced as well as Tottenham in the cup, thus giving some reasoning for a total of only six goals scored by the end of that period.

However, it was also notable that we faced teams including Luton in that time, in a game whereby we had plenty of chances to score multiple goals and only profited off of a Thomas Kaminski error. By the end of that period, we had taken 60 shots, with 16 on target and six goals scored. Percentage wise this means that 26% of shots we took were on target and 10% were scored.

These stats improved drastically in a spell in the middle of the season, whereby we faced Liverpool, Wolves, West Ham and Nottingham Forest, scoring 16 goals. Overall in that period we took 49 shots, 25 on target and scored 16 (51% therefore on target and 32% scored.)

More to be done

This season, however, in our first six games, we have had an easier run with Manchester United being the toughest team we’ve faced on paper. Shots taken is reflective of this as we have taken 82 shots so far this season and placed 25 on target (30%), which is a slight improvement on the first six games of last term. Although, we have only scored seven goals, which is a return of 8% compared to shots taken and thus a downturn compared to the first six games of last season.

Adama Traore seems to be one of the serial offenders when it comes to missing chances, particularly indicated by the game against West Ham at the weekend and Rodrigo Muniz hasn’t netted so far this season.

With all this taken into account, it could be argued that we need a run like the run at the midway point of last season which kick started Raul Jimenez’s scoring form and then further leading to Rodrigo Muniz’s purple patch should we really look to challenge in the top half this season, however these stats could soon change consistently as players are bedded in, leading to us climbing up the table this season.