SAKA, ANTONY AND 10 PREMIER LEAGUE STARS HEADING TO THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP
On Wednesday evening we saw something we’ve not seen in nine years at Craven Cottage.
Indeed, after almost 10 seasons without a 0-0 draw at home, Fulham finally went a game without scoring or conceding at Craven Cottage.
While there may be a feeling of sadness about one of world football’s greatest streaks coming to an end, there is an argument that supporters should look on the bright side.
Fulham’s run without a bore draw at home was incredible, and as strange as it sounds, it’s something supporters always took a bit of pride in – the Whites were the entertainers in England. If you came to Craven Cottage you were guaranteed to see goals, but now that’s not the case, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Indeed, while a 0-0 draw is never great fun to watch, it is indicative of a solid backline, and that’s something Fulham have been lacking for years, especially at this level.
In the Whites’ last two seasons in the top-flight they had two of the poorest defensive records we’ve ever seen, conceding a mammoth 166 goals in those two terms, on their way to relegation.
Goals were guaranteed at the Cottage for so long, not because Fulham were so irresistible going forward, but because of how poor they were at the back, and the return of 0-0 draws on the banks of the River Thames may herald in a new era of stability at the club.
Tosin Adarabioyo and Joachim Andersen are finally forming the first decent centre-back pairing we’ve seen at Fulham since Brede Hangelaand and Aaron Hughes, and they were at the heart of plenty of home 0-0s.
The last time Fulham achieved a top-half Premier League finish they drew 0-0 at home three times, and they conceded just 43 goals all season, and every Fulham fan would bite your hand off if you offered them a repeat of that campaign under Mark Hughes.
It’s unlikely that Scott Parker’s side are going to conceded just 43 this season, after all, they’ve already shipped 22 after just 13 games, but every point counts in this league and at the end of the day a 0-0 draw is better than a 0-1 loss.
It was an incredible run while it lasted, but we say bring on the 0-0s, as long as it means Fulham’s defence is better than what we’ve seen for the best part of the last decade.
