Unlucky 13: What Does It Take For Fulham To Have A Better Chance In The 24/25 Premier League?
Every Premier League fan will be looking at the upcoming season and hoping there is a big chance for improvement – and even to push the boundaries and get into Europe. The real dreamers will even remember the time that Leicester stunned the world, and pray for a similar sort of “lightning in a bottle” season at their club. Fulham have every right to think of themselves as established in the Premier League now.
So, what does it take for Fulham to have a better chance – and not just avoid relegation but also kick on into the higher positions?
What is success for Fulham?
Thirteenth place in the Premier League is something a lot of fans will take quite happily. Historically, Fulham have bounced between the Championship and the Premier League. A look at this season’s Premier League odds shows that the bookmakers don’t think Fulham are likely to get into European contention, and perhaps a top-half finish would represent a good level of progress, especially with them having lost a key player in João Palhinha.
Anything north of 13th place would be something that most Fulham fans see as decent progress, but what if the club really wants to advance? What do they need to do if they want to have a chance to push Europe or try to get to the level of some of the other London clubs they’re up against?
A 50-point goal could be a sensible option for Fulham to look at. Forty points almost always sees you safe these days, so this will be the first target for the club, but getting to 50 could well be enough for top half this year. Clubs focus on their own goals a lot, rather than positions. Nobody at Fulham can control if other clubs have a good year, but they will be in control of whether the 50-point total is possible. This would be a decent measure of success and a yardstick for those in charge. So, what do Fulham actually need if they are going to get to this level?
A goalscorer
Yes, we know, prolific goalscorers do not come cheap. Fulham will surely still be in the market for somebody (or hoping an existing player steps up).
Through the purchase of Emile Smith Rowe, the club have definitely found somebody who can help to provide more ammunition for strikers, and he will likely chip in with a handful of goals himself.
Last season’s top scorer was Rodrigo Muniz, with just nine goals. Teams that have ambitions of getting into the top half simply need to find a way to score more goals, and the team’s total of 55 is not something that is overly impressive.
Muniz is still young and it is unlikely that he has hit his peak yet, so perhaps he is the man to get 15 to 20 goals and help to push the team forward. Proven Premier League scorers do not come cheaply, so it is likely that there will be some risk taken here. Even playing in a system with one striker, it is likely that Fulham will look to bolster things and bring in some more attacking options.
The best strikers are going to the biggest clubs. Football’s biggest brands now have even more power due to their profits and the FFP regulations, so it isn’t realistic to think that Fulham might sign the next Mbappé. Instead, they’ll have to scout cleverly and find someone who can do the job.
Tosin and Palhinha replacements
Losing two players from the core of the team will have had a big impact. There’s simply no way that it can’t impact teams, and Tosin and Palhinha are two players who are very much in their prime. This makes it hard for the team to lose them. Palhinha went with a hefty price tag, and for a 30-year-old, it is understandable why this was taken. Tosin leaving on a free transfer to fellow West London club Chelsea will definitely hurt Fulham fans.
Worryingly, replacements are not necessarily in place yet. Recent transfer rumours have put Fulham in first place in the hunt for Joachim Andersen, but it is rumoured they haven’t met Crystal Palace’s valuation for the Scandinavian centre back.
In terms of replacing Palhinha, things could be trickier. João made more tackles than anyone else in the division last season, and this is not a simple matter. The incredible feat showed what an all-action defensive player he can be, but he also has plenty to offer in the box-to-box role.
Replacing these two is likely to be hugely important if the club are going to move forward, and with the season’s kick-off approaching, fans might be starting to worry somewhat. Scott McTominay has been linked with a move to Craven Cottage all summer but things haven’t materialised yet. It definitely seems like the midfielder could be a sensible option in terms of replacing Palhinha, as he is another who will cover a lot of ground.
A squad in need of fresh legs
Some people buy into the theory that squads should really always be evolving. The team in place at Fulham may need some fresh legs to reinvigorate them or to pose new threats that the opposing teams haven’t really considered. This isn’t easy to do, and Fulham seem to be struggling to get the numbers in currently.
It is tough to think that Fulham could face a relegation battle, but without some new signings, the squad looks a little threadbare. There will probably be three worse teams than Fulham come the end of the 24/25 Premier League, but fans won’t want to take any chances. Bringing players in to replace the huge outgoing names could help to allay some fears and even give Fulham the chance to move up the table in this coming season.
