What To Make Of Fulham? - Football (Soccer) News And Picks

What To Make Of Fulham?
By Anthony Marinetti
Posted: 2:00 am PDT 2007-01-01

The grueling EPL holiday schedule is upon us, and the struggle for survival in the top-flight becomes more interesting with each passing day. Now at the final weekend of 2006, the middle of the table is a complete traffic jam, with only 10 points separating 7^th place from 17^th place.

Smack in the middle sits Fulham in 11^th place with 26 points, equaling Manchester City and one point clear of Aston Villa.

The Cottagers may be the most schizophrenic squad in the EPL. One week it is drubbed by Manchester City, the next it grabs an inspiring win over Arsenal, only to be followed by an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Liverpool, then rebounds for a 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough and a hard-fought 2-2 draw with defending champion Chelsea at neighboring Stamford Bridge.

Manager Chris Coleman has yet to establish an identity for his squad. Up and down over the past two-plus seasons, mid-table is a familiar place for Fulham, and while Coleman has staved off relegation, the young manager has done little to excite its supporters.

Identity for any football club begins with strong, consistent midfield play. Fulham has lacked any strength or consistency in midfield, while sporadically generating productivity up front. If the Cottagers can keep Luis Boa Morte healthy, the potential arrival of American international Clint Dempsey may provide the genesis for an established identity all the way around, and a boost for its underachieving midfield.

"It's not like he is coming here to sit the bench," Coleman said of Dempsey. "He's coming because we've bought him to make a big impact."

Dempsey will be the fourth player Fulham has plucked from the United States' Major League Soccer, the others being Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra and Simon Elliot.

WagerWeb.com has Fulham a -138 favorite vs. last-place Watford on Monday, but it is difficult to know what to expect. The 4-4-2 was effective at Stamford Bridge, but it is unlikely the formation will be same as Boa Morte returns to form.

Bottom line, the Cottagers' fate will swing in one direction or the other during the second half of the EPL season. I do not foresee the roller coaster ride lasting much longer; it is simply a question of how Fulham can pull together, form an identity that actually registers on the radar of other clubs, and generate consistency from top to bottom.

Online Football (Soccer) Betting Sites