Fulham - fan's review of 2008/09 Premier League season
Fulham - fan's review of 2008/09 Premier League season
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Tuesday, 02, Jun 2009 05:57
Good, bad or just the same old, same old? What the fans made of the 2008/09 season.
Realistically, the season couldn't have gone much better.
After last year's heroic escape from the clutches of relegation, sights were not set too high for the 2008/09 season; indeed, Premier League survival clinched on the last day would have been considered a successful year by most Fulham fans.
However, armed with a bundle of the chairman's cash, manager Roy Hodgson proceeded to transform a team of Premier League also-rans into Europa League qualifiers, beating the likes of Spurs, Man City and West Ham in the highly prestigious "race for seventh".
The campaign was built on a string of solid performances at Craven Cottage, with only three teams - Liverpool and the Manchester clubs - boasting more wins at home.
Remarkably, the Cottagers even managed to pick up a few points - and indeed wins - away from home, ensuring that the club clinched their highest-ever Premier League finish.
All this was achieved with a pleasant passing style which put Hodgson's predecessor, Lawrie "I wasn't given enough time" Sanchez, to shame.
Grade: A
High Point
Undoubtedly the game against Manchester United at Craven Cottage.
No, not the 0-4 FA Cup thrashing on March 7th, but the league game two weeks later which ended 2-0 to Fulham.
The game was billed as United's opportunity to set the record straight after their 1-4 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool at Old Trafford the previous week, and a chance for the reigning champions to get their title defence back on track.
Fulham were supposedly only there to roll over obligingly - but they ended up worthy winners, demonstrating the huge progress made under Hodgson in the process.
The fact that Fergie spent the aftermath moaning about Wayne Rooney's sending off rather than the end result told its own story.
Low Point
The sale of Jimmy Bullard to Hull in the January transfer window looked at the time as if it could put a major dent in Fulham's hopes of finishing in the top half of the table.
Losing the former Wigan man appeared to leave captain Danny Murphy without an obvious partner in the midfield engine room and, rather dispiritingly, it looked as though Fulham were about to take a few steps backwards to counteract the progress made since the summer.
However, things worked out well in the end, with Dickson Etuhu stepping into the breach alongside Murphy to such effect that he has attracted interest from rival clubs, and the Fulham bandwagon rolled on.
The manager
A surprise choice as manager when appointed by Mohamed Al Fayed, Hodgson has won even the harshest of critics over in his first full season as Fulham boss.
Indeed, he was a strong candidate for manager of the year, with Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp giving Hodgson his vote despite the strong cases put forward by Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes.
And while it was Moyes who ultimately secured the recognition of his peers, the Fulham fans are fully appreciative the job their man has done.
What's more, he's probably the nicest manager to grace the Premier League since Bobby Robson.
Fan's Player of the Year
- Brede Hangeland -
Anyone linked with a summer move to Arsenal must surely have done a good job over the course of the season, and Brede Hangeland impressed with some consistent displays at the heart of defence.
He also weighed in with one or two crucial goals in his first full season in the Premier League, and a new contract has been put on the table by the club as they seek to keep hold of one of their most valuable assets.
However, Hangeland was not alone in carrying good form all the way through the season, with goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and midfielder Danny Murphy also deserving of a special mention.
Needs for Next Season
While a replacement for Bullard is an obvious need, perhaps the most pressing concern is a lack of firepower up front.
Although the willingness of Andrew Johnson and Bobby Zamora cannot be called into question, their goalscoring records at the club can - with Zamora's in particular not good enough to earn a place in a team in Europe.
Bringing in a striker with the ability to score goals is therefore a priority for Hodgson over the summer, with added competition in central midfield coming a close second.
Other than that, the squad just needs greater strength in depth to ensure the club can cope with the demands of campaigning on both domestic and European fronts next year.
Tim Lesnik