Every season, the Premier League race is full of drama, excitement and frequent tension. But this year, Fulham withdrew so far from the race that they declared themselves winners with four free games.
The price? Rank in the Premier League for season 2022/23.
Their number of points, 86, is enough to jump safely over the finish line, and automatic promotion is guaranteed. But in reality the race is only half.
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Highlights of the match from the Sky Bet Championship between Fulham and Preston North End.
After spending 13 consecutive Premier League seasons between 2001 and 2014, Fulham’s condition has been slightly more volatile in recent years, with their last five campaigns ending in either promotion or relegation.
No one can question Fulham’s ability to go back. The model is consistent. The misery of relegation was followed by the joy of immediate promotion.
Once again, the London teams need only one season of the championship to realize their potential as a first-tier club, but the questions about their longevity remain.
Here we look at how Fulham can give up his yo-yo past in favor of continued development as a true subject in the Premier League.
Unsuccessful preparation…
Image: Fulham manager Marco Silva leads Hull, Watford and Everton in the Premier League
With the increase, which is now mathematically certain, Marco Silva will have one or even two eyes next season.
Silva Fulham has a leader with Premier League know-how. In both of the best recent memory raids, they have been led by managers who have no such experience.
His Premier League win (35.71) may be somewhat unbearable, but it counts for something, given that his predecessors, Slavisa Jokanovic and Scott Parker, have started their respective top-class campaigns at zero.
Fulham have also been leading the championship since mid-January, and although they have delayed their promotional parade with several deceptive results – especially against Coventry City and Derby County – they have known their fate for weeks.
Any omission from now on will certainly only serve as a recess, not to derail their championship accreditations, allowing for a more measured approach in preparation for the 2022/23 campaign.
Learning from mistakes
Fulham has tried to spend seriously with limited success in the past and will have to be a shrewd operator in the summer transfer market to ensure he raises his team in the areas they miss the most.
This time, with an automatic promotion protected without the need for playoffs, Fulham is ahead of the competing package.
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Fulham fans and players celebrated at Craven Cottage as Fulham were promoted to the Premier League after beating Preston.
This security can pave the way for players to trade earlier in the window and offer all newcomers more time to go to bed.
Fulham’s recruitment policy in recent years has been wrong, and has sometimes relied too heavily on hired workers. They spent over £ 100 million on 12 players before the 2018/19 season before being forced to enter the January market for a short-term decision in a bid to save their ill-fated season.
A more thoughtful attack plan that focuses on two or three key goals in specific areas of weakness, as well as some pragmatic fine-tuning of the current team will provide a better platform for success – this model is well executed by both Leeds and Brentford in recent seasons.
Build around Mitrovic
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Alexander Mitrovic grabbed his 40th goal of the season after Fulham were promoted to the Premier League after beating Preston.
Alexander Mitrovic is undoubtedly Fulham’s mascot, although questions remain about his suitability in the Premier League. Nevertheless, Silva seems to know how to get the most out of his record-breaking striker. It thrives on an established system driven by Silva’s dynamic style.
In March, Mitrovic broke Ivan Tony’s championship record by scoring his 32nd and 33rd league goals of the season in a victory over Peterborough. Since then, the Serb has scored seven more times to break the 40-goal barrier.
Fulham won with and without Mitrovic’s goal
There is a very clear connection between the Mitrovic Prize and Fulham’s wealth. In 2020/21, the striker scored more international goals for Serbia (7) than at club level (4), as Fulham dropped out after finding the net only 27 times throughout the season.
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We are looking at the best goals from Alexander Mitrovich’s record season in the 2021/22 Sky Bet Championship.
It is clear that Silva Mitrovic has much more power. He has become better at entering a deep and binding game and is much more like a full-back, registering seven more assists. It is also no surprise that Fulham has the richest provider in the league in Harry Wilson – 14 assists, an average of 0.41 for 90 minutes played.
To dictate the outcome of Premier League matches, Fulham must devise a formula that puts their valuable asset, which was chosen as a player of the season in the championship with assistant Wilson, at the center of the action.
The impulse is golden
Image: Alexander Mitrovich and Harry Wilson scored more goals than any other pair in the Championship
Championship winners tend to do better than playoff winners – although Norwich City remain the exception. That is why Fulham must use the momentum gained from such a successful season and use it well at the beginning of the new term.
Leeds, Wolves and Burnley are examples of clubs that have won the championship in recent years and have shown resilience in the league, taking advantage of the promotional wave. This does not last forever – as demonstrated by the breakup of Sheffield United in the second season – but can serve to energize a positive start to the new term.
The same impulse applies to individuals. There will be a void from teenage sensation Fabio Carvalho – who is due to leave for Liverpool this summer – but among the youngsters who have won Fulham’s Premier League title 2 (Division 2), there is clearly plenty of talent to complement the quality of the first team. .
The transmission must be extended to Fulham’s stellar strike force. If Mitrovic and Wilson manage to reach the same heights and provide a comparable amount of firepower in the Premier League, it is reasonable to predict that Fulham will remain at the highest level for more than one season. Many if, but maybe, but there are certainly grounds for cautious optimism.
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