Fulham's coming off the most successful season in club history (even if their position in the Premier League says otherwise). SB Nation Soccer editor Richard Farley considers whether new manager Mark Hughes will be able to replicate Roy Hodgson's results.
Aug 12, 2010 - While most clubs would relish the opportunity to build upon a twelfth place finish, the Cottagers set a high standard for themselves last season, the most successful in club history. Fulham made it to their second major final, going to extra time in Hamburg against Atletico Madrid before Diego Forlán took European silverware back to Spain. Though a disappointing finish, Fulham's mere presence in the Europa League final was more than supporters had previously imaged.
Fulham has never won a major title. They've won the second tier of English football twice, but the closest they'd previously come to a major honor was an appearance in the final of the 1975 FA Cup. Having spent most of their history at the second level, the club's previous high-point was 2008-09's seventh place Premier League finish. Founded in 1879, Fulham's only spent 24 seasons at the top level, with 2006-07 and 2007-08 giving supporters reason to believe their current run in the first division was about to come to an end.
Just as Fulham had started to accept the identity of a scrappy, lower-table club - an improvement on it's pre-Mohammed Al Fayed status - the Roy Hodgson-era threatened to redefine the club. He's the man responsible for the seventh place finish, the Europa League final as well as the remarkable survival run to keep Fulham up in 2007-08. He made Bobby Zamora into an England striker, Clint Dempsey into one of the league's best wingers, and Brede Hangeland into a coveted central defender. And because of all these accomplishments, Hodgson got the Liverpool job, his departure begging the question: Are the Cottagers destined to return to being that scrappy, lower-table club?
While the talent doesn't look quite as good without Hodgson there to support it, it's the type of team with which new manager Mark Hughes has previously succeeded. Before Sparky became the chip-on-his-shoulder, "I'll show you, Fergie" man miscast at Manchester City, he was a young, promising coach that had Wales and Blackburn punch above their weight - the reason why many feel Hughes has found his level at Fulham. Bobby Zamora can be his Roque Santa Cruz. Clint Dempsey is his new (David) Bentley. Brede Hangeland's his Chris Samba and Mark Schwarzer can do a mean Brad Friedel impression.
With the top half of the Premier League more competitive than ever, replicating a Hodgson's seventh place finish may be ambitious. Then again, Hughes has taken Blackburn to Europe. Why not the Cottagers?
The Cast
Major Comings: Phillippe Senderos was brought-in from Arsenal, but an Achilles injury could keep him out the whole season. Fulham will tackle 2010-11 with the same team that succeeded in 2009-10.
Significant Goings: None. Erik Nevland's gone back to Viking, but that departure more's likely to create time for somebody who'll score more than three goals in 23 appearances. Chris Smalling's also departed for Manchester United.
Still There: Zamora, Dempsey, Hangeland and Schwarzer. Aaron Hughes, Paul Konchesky, Chris Baird and John Pantsil return in defense. Danny Murphy, Damien Duff, Dickson Etuhu, Jonathan Greening, and Simon Davies help make-up the midfield. Zoltan Gera will help the attack.
Prognosis
| Rk | Club | Avg | W | D | L | GF | GA | 1st | Top 4 | Top 7 | Relegated | Best | Worst | Range* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Fulham | 12.5 | 13.2 | 7.6 | 17.2 | 48.2 | 60.2 | 0.0% | 0.2% | 4.6% | 8.2% | 3 | 20 | 7-19 |
Why: More focus on the Premier League than Europe (where they don't compete this season) should balance out the regression they'll see from some veteran players. Though Fulham is ranked tenth in our evaluation, they are part of a large group of teams that will be battling relegation if little things start to go wrong. Unlike some other members of that group, Fulham could see their way to the edges of Europe.
Best Case Scenario: Hughes proves the right hire, Zamora scores double-digit league goals, Dempsey's improvement continues, and the Cottagers get more production from the likes of Simon Davies and Jonathan Greening. Andrew Johnson eventually provides another scoring threat and Fulham challenges for Europa League when a team for the league's second tier slips..
Nightmare: Hughes is the wrong guy. He doesn't connect with the veterans. He's unable to maximize performance the way Hodgson did. Fulham finds that the edge Hodgson drilled into his team is impossible to replicate, and the Cottagers all on their face. Fulham gets relegated.
Most Likely: Fulham consistent beats the teams they should be can't do more than trouble the teams they shouldn't. Mid-table and happy.
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