The Tanner Report/ Fulham 2 Cardiff 2.
Fulham could not produce the same level of performance of their first three matches and in the end were more than satisfied to earn a point in this 2-2 draw with Cardiff.
Cardiff, managed by Fulham old boy Paul Trollope, an early Ray Wilkins/Kevin Keegan signing at the beginning of the Al Fayed era who made little impact, set up his Cardiff team with a pressing formation. This worked as we only managed our first shot in the 42nd minute and scored from it. Sono Aluko spun off his defender and then cut inside another to cross for 16 year old Ryan Sessegnon to bundle the ball into goal. I thought we would dominate the second hand but it was the visitors who did scoring from 2 long shots. With 4 minutes to goal Kevin MacDonald clipped a shot into the corner of the goal. A draw was no more than we deserved.
Coach Slavisa Jokanovic went public that he had hands tied by Fulham’s resident moneyball guru in making signings. This appears to be centred on the signing of James Wilson of Manchester United. There is irony here. I spoke to Ivan Conway as he was on loan to Brighton last season who did not rate him at all. Chris Hughton however does not believe in moneyball but old fashioned scouting and he hasn’t done badly, has he? I hope this rather public spat does not end with SJ leaving as we seem at last to have found a coach that can deliver. Chairman Shahid Khan in his programme column states that “Slavisa has my support to explore all opportunities as we collectively support excellence ‘. The key word here is ‘collectively’ as he does not believe transfers should be left to one man, a situation with which SJ would know as at Watford where he was Head Coach players were regularly shifted round the three clubs that the Pozzo family owned, Granada, Udinese and Watford.
It’s early days but we look only a play-off team to me. Newcastle have won two on the bounce, Villa will be a force. We only have 2 outright strikers in Woodrow and Smith, Floyd Ayite that brings width and pace was carried off with what looked like a groin injury. Certainly the team has more guile and pace with the three additions -Ayite, Alukonad Odio -, MacDonald will be a presence in midfield and the defence looks meaner and better organised.
It was my first home game. Familiar faces took up their seats and acknowledged. “I don’t know his name, been coming for years”. In front of us were signing Bob Cain, who writes for the programme and his wife Paula who once and normally only once will release a barrage of abuse usually at the ref. I sat with my pal who took me to my first game and another with whom I went to our two Cup Finals, the FA in 1975 and Cup Final and Europa in 2010, friendships that more than compensate for an underachieving draw.
