How Did Fulham Fall From Grace Without Even Reaching There?

Fulham’s return to the Championship was signed off Tuesday night by a 4-1 defeat to Watford. They conceded three second-half goals in a matter of 12 minutes, a second-half capitulation which Fulham fans have become so accustomed to seeing this season. 

Their return to the Premier League was marked with so much ambition, spending over £100m in the summer to bring in household names. A statement which even led myself amongst others to believe that they were destined for a top ten finish. 

However, the deceitful cheque book of billionaire owner Shahid Khan is exactly what bellied their downfall this season. The 100m spent in the summer through hindsight was impetuous. From mid-September, it was clear that Fulham had entered the Premier League without a clear vision or footballing identity. 

The team which achieved promotion through embarking on a 22-match unbeaten run were brushed to one side. The likes of Ryan Sessegnon and Tom Caireny found themselves wasting away on the bench while the marquee signings from Europe made their debut in a league they were not accustomed too, for a team they probably had not heard off before they got the phone call from their agents in the summer. 

The lack of understanding on the pitch was matched in the dugout. Jokanovic’s mentality was eaten alive by the demanding nature of the Premier League. Whimpering defeats witnessed changes, creating instability which precipitated even more defeats. 

The confidence was drained out of the side, and the players who had just been brought in simply stopped trying. Every game that passed witnessed them being over-run, out-fought and more importantly out-scored by their opponents. 

It was like they had not witnessed the many teams before them who had flexed their bank balance the same summer of promotion. As Middlesbrough (16-17), Norwich (15-16), QPR (14-15) and Cardiff (13-14) all outspent other promoted teams on their return to the top flight but all failed to retain their status the same season. 

The Chairman’s toxic mentality of ‘Money buys happiness’ led the fans, the players and even the manager to believe that Fulham could buy their way to victory without having a clear cut vision. Even Manchester City’s money couldn’t do that. 

Results became so embarrassing that Khan had to let Jovanovic go. But the warning signs where there with his replacement, Claudio Ranieri. Again, the belief that a Premier League title winning manager had the credentials to ensure Premier League surrival highlighted Khan's naivity. Sam Allardyce was probably at home with his feet up chuckling at the prospect. 

With that said, Khan’s money could have been beneficial. Nuno’s Wolves have proven that money is a differential factor if accompanied by a clear style of play and the primary determination of not getting beat. 

Fulham have been chewed up and spat back out by the Premier League. The teams to be promoted this season would have been taking notes from their disastrous return to the top flight. An exodus awaits them and it may again be a while before we see them again.