The Tanner Report: Fulham 1 Crystal Palace 2

Two years and two months ago Fulham’s first game in the Premiership was at home to Crystal Palace and we were well beaten 3-0.

I came across the programme. Our chairman in his column wrote:

“We have worked hard this summer to build a squad that will not be satisfied by merely holding on against premier league opposition.”

Sadly  Fulham did not even hold on but were relegated.

It looks like the same fate awaits us as we are in bottom place with 1 point. We are yet to play Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea or Spurs.

We dominated possession against Palace but, as often as not, the final ball into the box was inaccurate and Alex Mitrovic had a poor service.

When he was presented with a goal scoring chance he fluffed his lines.

Once again canny Roy Hodgson, once of this parish but now at Steve Parrish’s Palace, who took Fulham to the Europa League Final, outwitted us.

I would not get rid of Scott Parker whose  appointment as first team as coach in August 2018 was hailed  in the same programme.

He was promoted to Head Coach after Claudio Ranieri was sacked.

He achieved promotion from the Championship and he may well have to do so again. Many a team has languished in the Championship after being in the top tier for many seasons; in the cases of Derby and Nottingham Forest, they  even won the title.

There is now the yo-yo club – like WBA and Norwich – and that is where we are.

There are those that criticise the owner. However most clubs would be grateful to have a billionaire owner in these troubled times.

Monday week we face WBA.

It’s difficult  to see where we go from here.