The best way to describe Fulham this season would come from the movie Forrest Gump. One of the famous lines from the movie is “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get”. Fulham have been very unpredictable over the course of the season, however since Rene Meulensteen has taken over, the performances against the top sides have been very good and the team has put up a fight against Manchester City, Arsenal and Everton.
The unpredictable part of Fulham begins with the head coach. As fans, we don’t know what formation or lineup he is going to put out on the pitch from match to match. Not many fans could have predicted the starting XI Meulensteen used against Manchester United as he played youngsters and blended that with experienced players.
In the end, his lineup and strategy of playing a 4-4-1-1 at Old Trafford worked. The players defended brilliantly, but took their opportunities when they could on the counter attack. Fulham played extremely well, and deserved the point.
Confidence has been a major problem with Fulham this season so getting a result on Sunday was very important. The one thing I can tell you is that this is not the same club that played at Anfield earlier in the season.
The new additions from the transfer window plus the youngsters that Meulensteen has played lately gives us hope to stay in the Barclay’s Premier League. He now has many players to choose from for each and every match.
I will share some thoughts on the best youngster and transfer window addition to make an impact with the club. Centre-back Dan Burn is a youngster with so much potential and does not look out of place at all. He is definitely a reason the defence has looked stronger lately. Whether he is paired with Brede Hangeland or Johnny Heitinga, this player continues to impress with his play.
The best addition for Fulham with out a doubt is Lewis Holtby. He came to us on loan from Tottenham Hotspur and has been dynamic and dangerous in the two matches he has played for us. His impact for the rest of the season could be the difference for the club and I have no idea why he is not featuring at Spurs.
Now, looking forward to the match on Wednesday; this might sound fairly simple, but whoever scores first will really control this match. For Fulham it is imperative to weather the storm they will get from Liverpool in the first twenty minutes and get that first goal before the end of the half.
Fulham have played well against the bigger sides in the first half of their matches but when they have gone down in the second half, they have conceded in bunches. If Liverpool can play from ahead this match, it will be extremely tough for the home team.
However on the other side, if Fulham get up in this match and show the fight they portrayed against Manchester United they have a chance to get at least a point from this match and could possibly win it. This is a match about confidence from a Fulham perspective so if they get that boost, it could make for a very interesting match.
Liverpool at times look devastating with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge scoring goals for fun and playing at a high level. It will be interesting to see what type of strategy Meulensteen will use to contain these very dangerous players.
Fulham are very unpredictable right now, so I have no idea what players will start and what formation will be played. The one thing I can tell you is that Fulham will be prepared to play and they will treat this game like a Cup Final because their survival is at stake. I don’t think this will be a walk in the park for Liverpool.
