It’s coming together but Fulham still need to focus on consistency

I was lucky enough to be in the stand at kick-off last Saturday afternoon. I was lucky because I had the pleasure of seeing our two first-half goals from a bird’s eye view. We looked every bit a top-half Premier League side for 45 minutes as the Putney End saw the Whites marauding forward constantly down both flanks. If the first half was a bit longer we could have been three or four up at the break.

Fulham looked like a side that know what they are doing; they have done so from the first game of the season. However, this time the Whites got the all-important goals that their performances have warranted and even more importantly, they got three points. This is now the joint-longest unbeaten run that Fulham have had under Marco Silva.

A pragmatic – and pivotal – win

Since returning to the Premier League, Fulham have been accused of lacking consistency. We’ve been capable of putting a decent run of games together, only then to lose or draw when everyone thinks we’ve reached a higher level. As Fulham fans we know that the team is capable of winning games, but when their achievements gain recognition, they can wane.

The Newcastle win is crucial, purely because we have reached a decent position this early in the season. The win saw a lot of factors come together; it showed Fulham fans that we can win while adopting a different playing style. Fulham had less possession but pressed high and were more direct. This slight change in style showed they can adapt to the opponent. Perhaps that a new ruthless pragmatism is what will bring this Fulham team that ever-elusive consistency.

Fulham notably crossed the ball a lot less against Newcastle; Emile Smith Rowe and Adama Traore ran at the defence much more. When they did cross the ball, there were often two or three different runs being made in the box. It’s much harder to mark three runs than it is to mark three static players. This indicated much more purpose. It also showed that against a backline that lacked agility and was more aerially dominant, Fulham shifted the emphasis. Both first half goals were examples of Fulham crossing and attacking with a view to exposing the weaknesses of Newcastle as opposed to playing to their own strengths.

We’ll have to see what happens against Nottingham Forest. The team from Robin Hood country are predominantly a counter-attacking team, which could force Fulham to change to a different tactic once more; it depends on the way Fulham want to approach the game. If Fulham can identify Forest’s weaknesses, I hope the front four are well prepared and clinical enough to exploit them.

Threatening Forest

Fulham need to be careful against Forest on Saturday though. This is a team that are set to finish “comfortably mid-table” according to Chris Sutton and took all three points at Anfield recently. Nuno Espírito Santo has them playing in a much more direct and determined manner. They’re well drilled and have depth from the bench given the amount of money they’ve spent in recent years.

Fulham can count themselves lucky that both record signing Morgan Gibbs-White and Nuno himself are banned from the game on Saturday. Gibbs-White has definitely made them click in recent years. This weekend, he might be replaced with Jota Silva, who’s been dubbed the Portuguese Jack Grealish. Assistant coach Goncalo Santos may well know a thing or two about him given his knowledge of Liga Portugal. Overall, Nottingham Forest appear to be physical unit who defend as a team before posing a threat on the counter with pace and a very good finisher in Chris Wood.

This graphic shows the overall data points of a striker and their performance relative to those data points. Chris Wood’s performances are comparable to that of Robert Lewandowski so far this season. The main thing that can be said of Chris Wood, is that he hits the target 73% of the time (joint third-highest shots on target in the league behind only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland). If Fulham can get tight to him before he has a chance to shoot, then we may stop a very impactful player.

Callum Hudson-Odoi is another player who Fulham will have to be wary of, particularly when he cuts inside on his right foot. Tete might have to show him the line and stop the cross. Many will remember Tete started this fixture last season, and it wasn’t his finest performance as he returned from injury. He’ll be hoping to put it right this time, after a making a great start to the season this term.

As Fulham search for consistency, they’ll also be looking at Nottingham Forest’s backline. Murillo and Ola Aina have been the standout performers in a largely unchanged back four. Aina’s interceptions and Murillo’s ability to block the ball will require Fulham to have quickness of thought and patience when attacking in equal measure. Targeting Alex Moreno and Milenkovic could prove to be a good option.

Fulham should also be aware that Nottingham Forest have not showed too much intent to press the opposition. Fulham will have to make sure that they are not keeping the ball for the sake of it, if Forest choose to stand off. Potency in possession to wear down this defence is going to be important. It might well take a set-piece or two to unlock the defence, as Brighton showed this last weekend. Lord knows Fulham are due a goal from a set-piece this season. Fulham should be wary of set-pieces against them though, James Ward-Prowse will likely be making an appearance at the City Ground. We know all about his dead ball ability.

A good start breeds positivity

Fulham are looking like the outfit they set out to be this season; a team capable of scoring from multiple attacking situations and one that is happy to play with the ball from the back and/or knock it long. The key will always be consistency, Fulham could extend their longest Premier League unbeaten run under Marco this weekend. No better way to do that than grabbing a result on a tough away day. It might even get Marco in front of Gary Lineker on MOTD for a special in-the-studio interview. Something Marco has yet to experience at Fulham.

The way to achieve this is through discipline. Fulham showed two obvious lapses in concentration against Newcastle, the goal they conceded right after half time when Joachim Andersen was too keen to nick the ball of Isak and when Leno sold Smith Rowe short with his pass from the goal kick. Big moments change games, in those two moments Fulham were harmed in one and were lucky to escape harm in the other. It is those kinds of mistakes that can come back to bite you the following fixture. Erasing those errors is the way to getting consistent performances.

So Fulham shouldn’t rest on their laurels. This team like other Fulham teams that have come before, is capable of consistency. If consistency is the ever elusive element and Fulham can manage to find it, everyone in the Premier League will sit up and take notice because of the squad they have now.