The Tanner Report: Sheffield United 4 Fulham 5
Last season Fulham did the double over Newcastle United, out played Brighton for 178 of the 180 minutes and put 9 past Huddersfield so to beat Sheffield United was no surprise … except that the team is not performing as well as last season.
Ryan Sessegnon, who has been disappointing of late, scored a hat trick. Watching the goals on SKY, I was struck by the cool aplomb with which he scored with his left and right foot, loanee Sheri Ojo chipped in with another 2 goals. He has yet to convince and was returning after serious injury. His direct running allied to a powerful shot troubled the Sheffield defence.
On the debit side as you might expect from a nine goal thriller, defensive mistakes were plentiful. David Button might have saved at least two. Cottagers were getting decidedly critical of coach Slavisa Jokatovic after home form that has only produced one victory. He cannot blame the American analytic boys now aa one has now left but he has certainly answered these critics in the best possible way. Ryan Sessegnon’s hat trick made him the youngest player to achieve this in our colours and the only other hat trick I could think of by a seventeen year old was that of Pele in the 1958 World Cup Final. We were only too pleased as well that Tom Cairney, the heart beat of the side, managed 2 games in 4 days.
One of the unsung heroes of the last few games is Dennis Odoi at left back. He is in that great tradition of right-footed left backs. Les Strong played over 500 games for the Cottagers to earn the praise of Fulham historian Dennis Turner as the best right-footed left back to play for Fulham.
Paul Watson a left-footed right back in the Micky Adams promotion side was another. I remember watching him in the company of a lovely impresario called Morris Kinn. An exasperated fan behind us commented:
“Morris,we have a right back with no right foot.“
Morris replied
“If he had a right foot, he would not be playing here.“