SAKA, ANTONY AND 10 PREMIER LEAGUE STARS HEADING TO THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP
It feels like forever since we last saw Fulham play any football, but there are still a few underlying issues at Craven Cottage that desperately need addressing.
The sad reality is that Fulham aren’t very good going forward these days, they have scored just two goals in their last five games, and their current first-choice centre-forward has just one goal to his name this season, and even that was a penalty.
Indeed, Ivan Cavaleiro hasn’t proven to be the best Aleksandar Mitrovic replacement in the world, with the Serbian seemingly out of form and out of favour at Fulham.
The big question is, how do you go about replacing Mitrovic in this Fulham team? He has been the focal point of the Whites’ attack for the best part of three years and he’s done a brilliant job.
However, with Parker now favouring a more pragmatic approach that favours pace, counter-attacking and quick transitions going forward, Mitrovic just isn’t fitting the bill.
Fortunately, Fulham are lining up a man who knows a thing or two about replacing Mitrovic.
Indeed, the Whites’ links to Dwight Gayle have re-emerged and this time they make perfect sense.
Gayle and Mitrovic are pretty much chalk and cheese, and the fact that Rafa Benitez turned to Gayle as the man to replace Mitro as the first-choice number nine at Newcastle back in 2016 tells you all you need to know.
Benitez’s Newcastle side wasn’t too different to Parker’s Fulham, they prided themselves on having a strong backline, while pacy attackers and clinical finishers made sure they were always a threat on the counter, and unfortunately, Mitrovic didn’t quite fit into that.
Indeed, the Serbian scored just four goals in 24 Championship appearances under Benitez, showing how poorly he operates when he’s not in a system suited to him, while Gayle hammered home 23 in 32 in that same team, because he had the attributes to play in that certain way.
Gayle coming in may signify a permanent change of tact at Fulham, but if that’s what’s needed to survive in the Premier League then so be it. Gayle has proven before he can offer something different, and potentially better, than Mitrovic, so this may be a punt worth taking for the London outfit, as much as it will hurt to see Mitro consigned to playing second-fiddle.
