SAKA, ANTONY AND 10 PREMIER LEAGUE STARS HEADING TO THEIR FIRST WORLD CUP
Fulham have gone from looking promising to being stuck in a rut in a matter of weeks.
Disappointing results against Brighton and West Brom have been followed up by a comprehensive loss against Leciester, and all of a sudden, questions are again being asked.
Something certainly has to change if Fulham are to stand a chance of survival this season, and it may be time for Scott Parker to contemplate doing something he’s not done since November.
Indeed, it may be time for Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa to drop to the bench.
The Cameroon international is a contender for Fulham’s Player of the Season in many fans’ eyes, and that’s not a view that we’re going to argue with, after all, he is the joint-leader at the club in terms of assists.
However, in recent weeks his output has been lower than you would usually expect from him.
Anguissa’s best quality is his ball retention and his ability to drive Fulham forward. Hence why earlier this season he was the league leaderin terms of dribbles per game, but now he has dropped behind Adama Traore on that metric and it’s easy to see why.
In his last five matches he’s averaged just 1.8 dribbles per game, down from his season average of 3.1, while his defensive output is also way down over that period, making just one tackle per game, much below his season average of 2.6.
His interceptions are no longer as frequent either, putting up just 1.4 per match over the past five games rather than his overall average of 2, so it’s clear to see why his impact on the field is diminishing.
It’s hard to make assumptions about why that it, but perhaps it’s no coincidence that we’ve seen Anguissa’s form take a dip after the Fulham squad had an outbreak of coronavirus, causing numerous games to be cancelled.
Maybe the break in training and football caused him to lose a bit of sharpness, but one thing is for sure, he doesn’t look as dominant as he once did.
Perhaps he needs a rest from action, a chance to recharge his batteries after a dip in form, or perhaps being dropped to the bench will light a fuse in him and make him step his game up a notch.
Either way, something needs to change in Fulham’s team and if Anguissa isn’t performing at his usual high standards, it may be time for him to have a spell on the sidelines.
