Fulham

Drew Heatley
Fan writer

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That feels like the inevitable tag that will be placed on this side: one that offered so much, but ultimately delivered so little.

We have lost 25 points from winning positions this season. No team is infallible - and we would never expect to win every game we score first in. But the proportion of those points lost in the 85th minute or later tells the real story.

Sunday's loss against Chelsea was the latest example of how close we have been to glory this season, but also how far we are from reaching that next level.

This campaign will likely end up being our most successful in terms of games won and points acquired, and yet we will probably finish outside the European places in a season when as low as eighth could qualify.

That makes it hard to assess whether this campaign has been a success or a failure - and whether Marco Silva has done as much as he can with this Fulham side.

Our squad is too small - a 23-man first-team squad attests to that. So, has Marco been backed enough? I do not mean just financially, but through astute scouting. Hidden gems do not have to cost £30m.

The uncomfortable discussion is how much blame lies with Silva. His ability to change a game is a criticism levelled at our boss.

The substitutes did not work on Sunday. Taking Sasa Lukic off for Tom Cairney damaged our defensive structure and we paid the price.

There have been other missteps. A penchant for playing five at the back when it clearly nullified any attacking shape only really worked once - in a win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. In other games, it cost us.

But truth be told, Fulham FC is far better with Marco Silva than without. So, if there is to be a next chapter, then changes must be made to the squad in the summer if Fulham are to shed their nearly men tag.

Find more from Drew Heatley at Fulhamish, external

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Fulham and Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Fulham fans

Will: So many points lost from winning positions this year. Even if we had taken half of those, we would be a certainty for European football. A season of what might have been.

Rob: After a dominant first half, we seemed scared in the second half. This is the most frustrated I have been this season. It was as if the players seemed weighed down with the expectation of finally doing the double over them.

Robert: Always seems to be trouble when we score first. The disappointing thing this season is our inconsistency, often caused by our failure to see games out.

Chelsea fans

George: After a lacklustre first half devoid of ideas or incisive play, Pedro Neto seemed to galvanise the team to push on and never quit. Maybe the youthfulness told in the end and Fulham's legs ran out, but after a goal against the run of play from Fulham, it was great for us to get a win away from home and keep up the fight for the Champions League. This will hopefully be the trigger for an exciting run-in with all to play for. A must-win, won. Next!

Alan: Woeful again. There is just no enthusiasm in the team. Cole Palmer just seems to be running round like a headless chicken and Nicolas Jackson is really out of his depth. Enzo Maresca's one and only plan is becoming tiresome now and lacks any excitement. All the back and sideways passing is becoming boring. Sixty years I have been a supporter, and I cannot think when it was this bad.

Mick: Decent second half. Definitely need a striker getting on the end of all the crosses or they are just wasted. We got away with one.

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's four Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to Sunday's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Ipswich Town 0-4 Arsenal

• Manchester United 0-1 Wolves

• Leicester City 0-1 Liverpool

Michael Beardmore
BBC Sport Journalist

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Only Ipswich have dropped more points from winning positions than the 25 Fulham have let slip this season - but this is the instance that will sting the Cottagers the most.

Fulham might have thought they were ending years, nay decades, of derby despair with a first-ever league double over west London neighbours Chelsea in their grasp.

But not only did the Blues' two late goals extend their almost interminable hold over this fixture, it also dealt a potentially fatal blow to Fulham's European hopes.

Had they just held on to a handful of those dropped points across the season, Marco Silva's side would surely be assured of a first campaign on the continent since 2011-12.

Indeed, had they clung on for victory against Chelsea, they would have been only three points behind the Blues and dreaming of perhaps the Europa League rather than its little sister.

Regardless of what happens in the run-in, few would argue it has been another season of progress at Craven Cottage - but, having let leads slip so often, has it also been a missed opportunity?

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham have dropped 25 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, with only Ipswich Town dropping more in the competition this term (27).

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham manager Marco Silva, speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea: "We were not able to play the second half very well, like we did the first.

"We did it well first half, the quality, the capacity to keep the ball and to find the right moments to do it.

"Unfortunately for us, we wanted to start the second half in the same way and were not able to connect some passes. Our build-up was not at the same level.

"They started to play in our half. I really believe the result is very harsh for us but the second half was not our level and we lost the game."

On limiting Chelsea: "That's true. But when you have so long without the ball, when you're used to having it, it is hard - even if they are not creating. Our organisation was good. But the two goals came from giving the ball away in a defensive moment.

"The clearance from Robinson was to an area that it cannot be and they equalised. But overall, we did not play our best in the second half."

Were you at the game or following elsewhere?

Have your say on Fulham's performance

What did you make of Chelsea's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Four matches make up Sunday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Fulham v Chelsea

• Ipswich v Arsenal

• Manchester United v Wolves

• Leicester v Liverpool (16:30 BST)

All kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

There is something not right at Chelsea.

They drew at home to Ipswich last week, for example. I laughed when I saw my guest, Yizzy, had put the Tractor Boys down to get a point but that ended up being the result that killed me.

From what boss Enzo Maresca has said since then, by asking the fans to trust him and saying the players are affected by the crowd, everyone seems to be feeling the pressure.

He was questioning the fans, but also his players' temperament. If you think about how many millions have been spent on that squad, then if they don't have the strength of character to play the way their manager wants, then heaven help them in the long run.

This is probably going to be another score draw but I seem to get Fulham wrong whatever I say.

They deserved to get something from their defeat at Bournemouth on Monday, and I am going with them to get a repeat of their win at Stamford Bridge in December.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Chelsea (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Silva has confirmed that every player is available for selection except Reiss Nelson who could potentially be out until the end of the season. Harry Wilson is nearing a return after picking up an ankle injury in January.

• On the importance of this fixture: "It's a final for us, too. We have our goals to fight for. Any game is going to be important because the season is coming to an end. A special derby for the fans being able to play at home. With our fans, quality, ambition, passion, it'll be crucial to get a good result."

• Silva stated how difficult it is to "manage the load" of Antonee Robinson due to his "importance" in the squad but is hopeful that he can have "very good last six games".

• On cultural change within the club: "When I joined, the club was down. The fans were not happy, it was a process to create our own identity and philosophy. We have made the club grow. I created it with my staff. The relationships with the staff, people at the top of the club are always there."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Fulham are looking to complete the league double over Chelsea for the very first time, in what is the 40th different league campaign in which they've met.

Since scoring 11 goals across three consecutive away Premier League wins in November and December, Chelsea have scored just three goals in eight away games (D3 L5). They had a 19% shot conversion rate in those three wins, but that has dropped to just 3% in their eight winless games.

Fulham have won two of their last five league games against Chelsea (D1 L2), more than they had in their previous 35 against the Blues (W1 D12 L22).

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We asked for your views on what no one was talking about at Fulham, but should be.

Here are some of your comments:

Tim: Eighth would be a disaster. We don't need the distraction of a long European tour of little significance in a third-tier tournament nobody even cares about. Champions League is out of reach, so it's either Europa League or nothing in my view.

Ben: I love Timmy Castagne but he's had some really poor games of late - most noticeably Arsenal and Bournemouth on Monday. He has filled in admirably for the superior Tete but he has forced us into becoming an incredibly one-sided team. Not the calibre needed for a European charge.

Guy: While this season is going very well, no one is talking about how useless our midfielders have been this season. They all have good stats and are easy on the eye because all they do is pass the ball backwards and to the side. I can't remember any of them, especially Pereira, contributing to multiple meaningful attacks in a game. Our wide players and Muniz/Jimenez are doing the heavy lifting, not the midfielders. Invest some money in the players please Mr Khan, not the swimming pool/stand!

Iain: The lack of a clinical finisher. This clear issue, ever since the departure of Mitrovic, has not been truly addressed and unfortunately, and will be the reason that Fulham will fall short of attaining European football next season. However, this should not ignore the fact it will still be a very good season, but it could have been so much better.

With three defeats in their past five games, Fulham are now seven points off fifth-placed Manchester City in the fight for Champions League football.

Marco Silva's side still have a shot at qualifying for Europe, but is there something else that is slipping under the radar at the club? What is the one thing - good or bad - nobody is talking about in relation to Fulham?

Let us know your thoughts here

Tottenham have identified Fulham boss Marco Silva, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola and Brentford head coach Thomas Frank as candidates to replace Ange Postecoglou should he be dismissed. (Teamtalk), external

Want more news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan wants head coach Marco Silva to stay at the club "forever".

Silva, who joined the club in July 2021, has re-established Fulham as a Premier League side since their return to the top flight with finishes of 10th and 13th.

Despite defeat by Bournemouth on Monday, Fulham are still competing for a European spot next season.

"We're having a tremendous season. We have got a great team, we have a great coach with Marco Silva and we have a great squad," Khan told BBC Radio London.

"We have so many great players, a great dressing room, these are really great people on and off the pitch. And we have the best fans. It is a really exciting time at Craven Cottage and at all our matches.

"The team has had a really great season and everyone is really proud of them and really looking forward to the run-in."

Silva's impressive time in charge of Fulham has left some fans concerned he could get poached by another team, but Khan is hopeful of him staying for a long time.

"Marco is a huge, huge asset to Fulham Football Club," he added. "He is such an amazing person and he is so important to the football club.

"Marco has a great relationship with my father and myself, and we really love Marco and we want him to stay at Fulham Football Club forever. He is a huge part of what we have got going for the future and the present and he is a great man."

Listen back on BBC Sounds

Drew Heatley
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

I will give us this - we are consistently inconsistent.

Defeat by Bournemouth on Monday means our past eight results read: WLWLWLWL.

The losses in that pattern will have frustrated a large portion of the fan base but, when you include the win against Newcastle United that immediately preceded this topsy-turvy run, it has yielded the same number of points as our lauded nine-game unbeaten streak earlier in the season.

The problem with Monday's defeat is that it allowed Bournemouth to leapfrog us in the table - and in the race for European football - to sit in that newly-coveted eighth place.

A win would have created a six-point gap for us and a draw would have kept the Cherries at arm's length.

Instead, we now find ourselves with a mountain to climb after fighting our way back into European contention following our surprise win over Liverpool.

But this form bodes well for the SW6 derby on Sunday. Because of the Premier League table's congested mid-section, a win would put us within three points of our noisy neighbours - and right back in the hunt.

Meanwhile, the four clubs immediately around us all play each other. Bournemouth face a tricky trip to Selhurst Park, while 10th-placed Brighton travel to 11th-placed Brentford. We will be hoping that the points are shared in both of those games.

It is an emotional rollercoaster, but one that every single Fulham fan is relishing.

A lot is said about "mid-table mediocrity" but when the cards fall in such a way that even eighth place means a spot in the Conference League, coupled with the fact that just seven points separate fifth and 10th, mediocrity turns into opportunity.

Whether or not we seize that opportunity very much depends on which Fulham shows up on the day.

Find more from Drew Heatley at Fulhamish, external

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Former Fulham defender Stephen Kelly says despite Marco Silva's side being inconsistent, they need to stay in contention for a European place because that would be an "amazing achievement".

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "Fulham are consistently inconsistent. It can be said about so many teams this season. No one has been able to really just keep it together for long periods of time and Fulham have fallen into that category as well. I think they are looking to push on, progress and move on as a club.

"Fulham, it's a great place if you can play in Europe there. It was amazing, my time there was sensational. It was such a wonderful experience so I think the club would love to get back an opportunity to have a European run because it makes for some great nights.

"There are so many places up for grabs, they need to stay in contention. There are three teams sitting on 48 points down to tenth - Bournemouth, Fulham and Brighton - any one of them could end up doing it which would be, for either of those clubs, an amazing achievement to get Europe next season."

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We asked for your thoughts after Monday's Premier League game between Bournemouth and Fulham.

Here are some of your comments:

Bournemouth fans

Matt: Quick out of the blocks but then we came up against quality opposition. We rode our luck several times, having not extended our lead, and a dogged performance in the second half ground out the vital win. Kepa was a deserved man of the match recipient.

Nick: Straight off attacking, as per usual. An unlucky miss off the woodwork, that has happened 21 times this season. Our second half performance was probably just us protecting our fine goal scored in the first minute of the game, The tactics were the best part. Well deserved.

Wing Lam: We showcased how strong we are in terms of pulling Fulham in all directions in the first half and we could have easily been 2-0 up at half-time. After the break, we showed incredible resilience to keep a clean sheet, particularly when Fulham have a deeper squad to call on to attack us. The consequence was a superb 1-0 win. Long may this continue. We should secure a European spot if we keep this up!

Tony: We looked very tired and gave the ball away too easily.

Fulham fans

Will: That might be that for our European football hopes. There are still a few games left, but the desire seems to be slipping away and fast.

David: There were far too many misplaced passes and weak attempts on goal. A lack of consistency is hurting our European football ambitions. At least Bernd Leno was on-form to prevent any more goals from Bournemouth. However, our up and down performances might lead to us beating Chelsea on Sunday. A double over them would make many fan's season.

Mark: Fulham have improved from last year, but I'd personally put that down to good transfer business rather than Silva himself.

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Fulham manager Marco Silva speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I think yes, [we did enough to earn a point]. We made it difficult for ourselves at the start of the game.

"We started really badly, we have to take the responsibility for that as we need to start the game with the right intensity, quality and decision-making that is necessary at this level.

"The team reacted as it should. We created chances, we pushed them back, the second half we controlled.

"In the final third we need to be more aggressive, make better decisions."

On Marcos Senesi yellow card challenge on Joachim Andersen: "For me it's a clear red card, VAR should have called the referee to review that moment.

"The same last weekend, we should have had a penalty, the referee didn't see it and neither did VAR.

"It's difficult to accept, we have been really unlucky with these kind of decisions from the officials and VAR in recent weeks.

"The fourth official was confused throughout the game, in all circumstances."

On pushing for Europe: "It was a moment to make a big step forward, you have to do it because it could be a decisive moment. But it's not the end, there are six games left".