The Tanner Report: Fulham 0 Sheffield United 1
Fulham’s winless run extended to 5 games as last night we deservedly lost to a spirited Sheffield United side that has revived under new manager Paul Heckingbottom.
They scored in the third minute and Fulham could not muster one shot on target in the first half.
In the second, in their best attack, Alex Mitrovic struck the bar, the ball then fell into the path of Harry Wilson who shot over the bar.
What went wrong?
Sheffield United played a tenacious, pressing game, harrying Fulham out of their normal fluency.
Fulham’s passing became increasingly ragged.
We hoped at half time that the arrival of Tom Cairney might lead to more cohesion with his sweet left foot but it did not.
Mitrovic was shackled by 3 defenders and no one else looked like scoring.
One feature of football at every level is that, when a substitution is made, you see the coach/manager explain his role exhaustively.
I sometimes wonder if this is for the benefit of the camera.
Forward Rodrigo Muniz came on late in the game and Marco Silva’s number two and former Fulham favourite Luis Boa Morte, with the aid of his laptop, explained his role in minute detail and then coach Marco Silva did the same.
The effect may well have been to fill the sub’s head with too much information.
In a key moment, wide man Neeskens Kebano delivered a fast low pass to the near post which invited Muniz to run across the keeper – former Fulham trainee Wes Foderingham -and possibly turn it in it into goal, or at least confuse him.
Muniz held his position and Fotheringham made an easy catch.
Instinctively Muniz should have attacked the cross but perhaps he had other things on his mind.
Where do Fulham go from here?
We are still top of the Championship and Bournemouth in second are not in better form than us.
Blackburn and Sheffield United look dangerous in the chasing pack.
Key Fulham players like Fabio Carvalho, Jean Michel Seri , Harry Wilson and Neeskens Kebano delivered below par performances.
Our next game is against Birmingham City on Boxing Day , one that we must win.
