Fulham must keep the faith in Adama Traore

And just like that, it’s time for another break.

We can go into this two-week period knowing that we’ve had a good start. The two blots on our copybook have been in Manchester. However, it’s the second visit we need to look at in more detail. No longer at a standing start, we were a top six side when we went up to the Etihad. Based on that performance in front of Pep Guardiola, we justified our position in the table.

We pushed a team that hasn’t lost at home in 50 games to the brink of defeat. It’s easy to focus on the result – it’s a results-based industry. But the outcome on Saturday should have been us walking away with a result (a point or all three), which would have been a fair reflection of the game.

However, we must look at the way the team played instead. The overall is how we showed ourselves worthy of a result in our favour. No player in our team encapsulates this holistic view we must have in hindsight more than Adama Traore.

Changing trajectory

Adama has been on a journey since joining Fulham. When he arrived for free from Wolves after an unsuccessful loan spell at Barcelona (where he also played when he was a youth player) he joined Fulham after what looked like a downturn in fortune. He had once been in the Spain senior squad and played with Wolves through their historic Europa League run under Nuno Espirito Santo. We have all become accustomed to his dribbling ability; he can carry the ball almost like a running back in the NFL. His strength makes him very difficult – sometimes impossible – to stop.

Adama has had plenty of critics though. I for one have been wary of him, given that he often lacks end product. He can do all the leg work, he gets into the right positions, however, when he gets into the goalscoring positions, he cannot seem to consistently produce a great final ball or the killer finish.

This season Adama has been addressing this very issue. The 28-year-old is maturing now, he has played at the highest level, naturally he is slowly but surely becoming more and more composed. So far this season he has performed exceptionally well. From seven games he has three goal contributions. He put in a man of the match display against Newcastle, and he scored the equaliser at Ipswich (who are proving a difficult opponent for many this term). Safe to say that before Saturday’s trip to the blue side of Manchester, he was answering his critics.

A step back?

However, everything he has worked on came undone on Saturday. When the full-time whistle blew Adama had taken a step backwards. The pundits sat in their armchairs prepared to recite the same old trope. ‘No end product’.

But those critics are simply not looking at the facts. Not only has Adama proven that this season he is capable of end-product, but he has also got a lot of time to prove people wrong because it’s a long season. Yes, he missed two gilt-edged chances, but that cannot and will not be the defining performance of his season. A more accurate view from the coaching staff will be taken on a result. Adama has taken three steps forward and one step back this season so far. As an onlooker, this feels like part of his development. People do tend to say that relapse is a part of recovery.

The additional element that we must appreciate is that having a player like Adama gives us and the team the belief that we can win games against opponents of that calibre. He gets the team up the pitch and is a genuine threat.

Cut him some slack

Scoring is the hardest thing to do on the football pitch. I remember when Raheem Sterling used to miss sitters for Manchester City in Pep’s system, but the reason why he was picked consistently is because Sterling made the opportunities possible in the first place. Without Sterling, there would be no goal scoring chance to make note of. Similarly, Adama is arguably the only player in the world who could have broken through City on the counter in the way he did. He left Kyle Walker in his wake. That is unheard of. No matter what you say about his finishing ability, you must praise Adama for getting into positions. He is unique and valuable because he can get into those positions. We sit and say ‘there is an obvious lack of end-product’, but it is his ability is the very reason we can mutter those words in the first place.

For that reason, we must trust in Adama’s process. His pace and power are such important attributes. With a little bit more training and composure he has the potential to bring great times to Craven Cottage. So far this season, he has started to do so. We shouldn’t let this backward step define him once more. Both from the bench and starting he will be vital to us. Marco has worked well with him and was visibly frustrated when the chances went begging.

If Marco can stay patient and hone Adama’s raw talents like he did to Aleksander Mitrovic and others, this Fulham player can be one of the best success stories yet.

Ademola Lookman took and missed the worst penalty of all time against West Ham in a Fulham shirt, now he is a Ballon D’or nominee. Fulham got round Ademola for the rest of the season, we need to rinse and repeat here. Who knows where Adama could get to even with his age.

Like a lot of players who end up at Fulham, Adama is a work in progress. We shouldn’t let one result against the world’s best team lead us into thinking that this was not a performance that is part of a wider development plan. Adama just needs to keep working.