Why Saturday’s defeat to Wolves could be a needed reality check

Jon Harland says that our surprise loss should remind us not to take anything for granted as fans.

An ice-cold pint of lager in Copenhagen, an Aperol Spritz in Florence, or perhaps a shot of vodka in Warsaw; the way things were going before the international break, many Fulham fans were dreaming of some epic away days across the continent next season.

Perhaps this was a small section of supporters, myself included, getting a tad overexcited – but with good reason. We were seventh in the table (and really should have been higher), on a good run of form, and playing scintillating football.

I had a spring in my step strolling through Bishop’s Park on Saturday. We were finally back at the Cottage and poised to make it three wins on the bounce against a struggling 19th-placed Wolves side who hadn’t won an away game since February. In my mind there was no other possible outcome other than a routine three points and a good time had by all.

Cunha believe it

The Fulham faithful were left shellshocked at full-time as the travelling fans basked in the glory of an unexpected 4-1 drubbing that sent the Cottagers crashing back down to earth.

But does this loss to an inferior side at home prove that even mentioning European football back at Craven Cottage was overambitious after all? Should we be more modest in our expectations? And is the reminder to guard against hubris actually a positive thing?

Putting things into perspective

While the sting of this loss lingers, it’s important to look at the bigger picture.

It might be an obvious comment, but one negative result will not derail our season. The last game also comes with caveats: the Whites hit the woodwork three times, Matheus Cunha morphed into prime Pele, and we were forced to see out the game with 10 men. The fanbase has legitimate reason to remain optimistic.

But this defeat serves as a sobering reality check; we’re a marvellous side, but so are other teams in the division. Achieving a top 10 finish, let alone a European spot, will be exceedingly difficult – but well within reach.

We as fans, and especially the players, cannot underestimate any fixture. Hopefully this is a kick up the backside that will act as a catalyst for positive performances and eliminate complacency.

A defining month ahead

As we enter the festive period, Fulham play seven games in December with some tough tests thrown in.

Away trips to Spurs, Liverpool, and Chelsea are daunting given current form. Although there are some winnable home games among Brighton, Arsenal, Southampton, and Bournemouth, an average of a game every four days will be tricky to handle.

If our Portuguese genius utilises the squad depth effectively and we enter the new year relatively unscathed, potentially with a couple of scalps in the bag, then we could find ourselves in a promising position, especially with January’s favourable run of games.

Five points currently separate second and 10th, with Fulham sitting ninth. It’s essential we don’t get cut adrift from the pack.

Stand up if you still believe

Sure, Saturday’s heavy home defeat may suggest that I was – and possibly still am – getting ahead of myself with what this Fulham team can achieve.

But why not? What’s the point of supporting a football team if you can’t get a bit overzealous at times – as long as it doesn’t devolve into delusion? And this iteration of Fulham has given us every right to dream.

It won’t be like this forever. It’s unlikely we’ll be able to hold onto players of this quality for long, with players like Antonee Robinson already linked to big moves. Keeping a manager of the calibre of Silva for much longer also seems unlikely. So it’s vital that we savour the good times and don’t take this team for granted.

Who knows what the rest of the season holds, but there’s a feeling that if we manage to iron out a few creases, we’re on the verge of something great.