Fulham face a hopeful spring and they have Newcastle in their sights
Fulham have turned a bleak winter into a hopeful spring at Craven Cottage and have their sights set on a stumbling Newcastle side dropping like a stone… it’s no wonder calls for Steve Bruce’s sacking are growing louder as Scott Parker’s stock soars
- Fulham are undergoing a Premier League survival revival under Scott Parker
- The Cottagers are unbeaten in four and now lie just three points from safety
- The mood at Fulham differs a great deal from life at Steve Bruce’s Newcastle
- The Magpies have no star striker, just two wins from 14 and sit in 17th place
Fulham’s February was looking bleak. Eight points from safety, blunt in attack with little hope of beating the drop.
Scott Parker’s side came into the month on a run of 10 games without a win, scoring just six goals in that period. On the immediate agenda were visits from high-flying Leicester and West Ham, plus a trip to Everton.
To make matters worse, they watched on as relegation rivals Burnley and Brighton picked up valuable three points at Liverpool to haul themselves away from the relegation picture.
Fulham have gone from 10 points from safety to just three points behind Newcastle in 17th
Steve Bruce’s Magpies now hang perilously above the drop zone ahead of a tricky run-in
Fast forward three weeks and the picture looks brighter at Craven Cottage just as the bleak UK winter starts to move towards a warmer and more hopeful spring.
A four-match unbeaten run – including priceless wins over Everton and Sheffield United – leave Fulham three points away from safety. An out-of-form Newcastle are continuing their slide towards the drop zone and the heat at the bottom has turned itself up.
But take nothing away from Parker’s role in giving Fulham a fighting chance. Lessons have been learned from previous failings in west London too.
Scott Parker has used Fulham’s young loan signings to good effect this season
FULHAM LOAN SIGNINGS 20/21
Alphonse Areola – PSG (24 games – seven clean sheets)
Ola Aina – Torino (21 games – two goals)
Joachim Andersen -Lyon (19 games)
Mario Lemina – Southampton(18 games – no goals)
Ruben Loftus-Cheek – Chelsea (20 games – one goal)
Josh Maja – Bordeaux (Three games – two goals)
Promotion to the top flight in 2018-19 saw Fulham splurge £100million on new talent under Slavisa Jokanovic but relegation after picking up a generous 26 points left then-interim boss Parker with a club in tatters.
This time around, Fulham are closing in on that total already and while the Fulham boss has been reliant on a new influx of talent, it is a more sensible recruitment plan than before.
Instead of expensive permanent deals bringing added pressure on the new arrivals, the success of Parker’s Fulham is reliant on the loan signings of youngsters with a point to prove.
This started all the way back in the autumn – the arrivals of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ademola Lookman not only bolstered an attack but gave two young English talents the chance to change the narrative after failing to impact Chelsea and Everton respectively.
At the back, Joachim Andersen and Alphonse Areola joined after struggling to live up to the hype in French football. Andersen in particular needed a good season to earn a Euro 2020 spot with Denmark this summer and Fulham granted him that game time.
January signing Josh Maja also struggled to make an impact in France since his £3.5million signing from Sunderland which saw him pictured as the ‘bad guy’ in the Black Cats’ Netflix documentary.
Signings like striker Josh Maja (far right) are having an immediate impact at Craven Cottage
Fulham supporters are starting to believe that their side can beat the drop this season
All of the above loan additions are now central to Parker’s revival. Maja’s two goals earned Fulham three points away at Everton while Lookman netted the winner at Sheffield United. Mitrovic, meanwhile, is not even required.
The bravery of the Fulham youngsters is partly down to Parker’s faith in them, irrespective of the disappointing start to the season.
Moments such as Lookman’s awful ‘panenka penalty’ at West Ham back in November and Andersen’s sending off at Newcastle before Christmas could have damaged their confidence and reputation but Parker’s persistence to bring out the best in his players is finally paying off.
Cut to the mood across England and Newcastle could not be in a bleaker mood. Disgruntled fans, no star striker and just two wins from 14 league games means fears of the drop are turning into reality.
Newcastle, meanwhile, have won just two out of their last 14 Premier League matches
A hamstring injury to Callum Wilson – that could rule him out for up to two months – is a major blow to Steve Bruce’s side. The former Bournemouth man notched 40 per cent of Newcastle’s league goals before his setback and his replacements up front are yet to score since his injury.
But a greater problem for the Magpies is the general mood around the club. Some would say Newcastle are in need of their loud St James’ Park backing but the air towards manager Bruce is somewhat of a negative one.
A January loss to Aston Villa looked like Bruce’s time at Newcastle was numbered and while victories over Everton and Southampton bought him more time, the Toon’s latest slide means the critics have returned.
A serious injury to star striker Callum Wilson leaves the Magpies with very little going forward
After Sunday’s 3-1 loss at Manchester United, the Magpies fans raged as Steve Bruce was seen smiling with former team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the dismal Old Trafford performance.
‘Good to see you’re smiling Steve. We’re not,’ was one complaint while another questioned whether boyhood Geordie fan Bruce ‘hurts as much as we do’.
While the Magpies are in freefall, Bruce is remaining calm – by both playing down Fulham’s latest rise and dismissing the problems his side are facing.
‘Fulham have had a good week and won a couple of games, which at the bottom end of the table is big. My message to the supporters is that I’m convinced we’ll be OK,’ he said on Sunday.
Bruce (right) was slammed by the Toon fans for laughing after his side’s loss at Man United
Newcastle fans have become concerned about their side’s top-flight status in recent weeks
He may want to look at his side’s fixture list. The Magpies’ run-in sees them face West Ham, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leicester and Manchester City in consecutive April and May games. On current form, Bruce’s side need to be well clear of the drop by then to stand any fighting chance.
Fulham have a difficult end to the season as well with trips to Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United coming up. But looking at the bravery and courage shown by Parker’s side in recent weeks, there is no guessing what the Cottagers can achieve between now and May. Up next for them this weekend – Crystal Palace away.
Who knows where the two sides will be when Fulham host Newcastle on the final day of the season?
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