The Tanner Report: Fulham 0 West Ham 0

I used to clean the windows of a doctor who told me that – in issuing a bulletin – there is a state known as unlikely … being worse than serious but less than grave.

I cannot think of a better term to describe Fulham’s position than unlikely.   

We are now 8 points adrift with 16 games left. Worse, Brighton and Newcastle above us are picking up points and Burnley have the guts to survive.

The performance against high flying West Ham was typical of those these past few months.

We more or less matched them but in the final third had little cutting edge.

Ruben Loftus Cheek failed to hit the target and Ivan Cavaleiro did not add to his 3 goals all season.

So why is it we play well but finish with 1 point for a draw, not 3 for the win?

I have commented on the absence of a goal scorer, and in a previous post the number of loanees, but there is another factor: the lack of leadership on the pitch.

Talking to Ivan Conway yesterday post-match, he praised Brighton one club man and skipper Lewis Dunk.

Dunk has two feet, a pass and pace and – as he did yesterday against Burnley – pops up in the box with a header. I have never liked the man but he reminds me of John Terry.

You can imagine him laying into an under-performing fancy Dan.

Tom Cairney was not a demonstrative captain and Scott Parker passed the armband to defender Joachim Andersen who has done an excellent job at the heart of the defence alongside Tosin.

However he does not seem to exhort and demand.

In cricket the captain plays a tactical role with field placement and bowling changes.

In football – both the American and non-American version- tactics are decided in advance and in English football a common sight is the coach – iPad on hand – issuing detailed instructions to a sub.

Talking of subs, with a win vital, it took rather too long to get 3 strikers on the pitch.