The Tanner Report : Fulham 1 Watford 1
You could see in a first half the away side dominated the difference between the two teams. Watford were totally unchanged in their 6 Premier games, Fulham change their starting eleven every time so we have a back four that has to be introduced to each other.
Watford might easily have scored 2 more after Tim Fosu-Mensah, our right back, could and should have been sent off for a reckless challenge and at half-time £20m Alfie Mawson was hauled off for Dennis Odoi.
We played better in the second half and Alex Mitrovic showed why he is the Premier’s top scorer with a late equaliser and then hitting the bar with a header.
He is an old fashioned bull of a centre forward, very powerful, who can hang in the air or on the deck turn to release a searing drive.
Both he and Andre Schurrle have goals in them and Ryan Sessegnon too if he was played alongside them.
The Tanner verdict is that coach Slavisa Jokanovic still does not know his best starting eleven but our forward line will score enough to keep Fulham around 14th position.
It was good to see Clint Dempsey on the pitch at half time as part of a commendable initiative to honour our long serving players.
Clint will always be remembered for an exquisite chip that put mighty Juventus out of the Europa League.
He was not the first to move across London to Spurs and fail to replicate his Fulham form. His best years were with us.
Although he was raised in extreme poverty the Dempseys were an American sporting family of some prowess; his sister could have been a tennis star but an embolism cut her life short and ma and pa devoted themselves to Clint’s football training. He made the grade first in the MLS American soccer league and then the Premier. It’s a heartening story and he richly deserved the accolades on the pitch.
In today’s football the one club man has all but disappeared unless he plays for one of the big boys. So 200 appearances is something of an achievement.
