Fulham ended up finishing the season in 13th place, the same number of points (11) ahead of the top relegation spot occupied by Crystal Palace and the lowest European qualification spot, which this season happened to be Middlesbrough in 7th.
The final day 6-0 drubbing of Norwich – which sent them down – was not typical of the season at all. We apparently played in an adventurous, attacking way, playing a 4-4-2 formation that much of football history has told us generally works pretty well.
At the start of the season I predicted on TFI that we would finish the same as we did the previous season – 9th – based on the fact that we were probably riding a bit of first season naievety & bravery on the part of our first full season manager Chris Coleman plus the fact he’d made some shrewed signings – Tomasz Radzinski, Claus Jensen & Andy Cole among them, whhich would offset any problems he might encounter.
How wrong can you be? Well his first season adventurism turned into a second season characterized by the fear of failure – he event eventually admitted as much publicly. Cole did end up as a top scorer, but Jensen was injured for long periods of time, Malbranque had injuries and an Radzinski spent too much time warming the bench or being played out of position.
On the plus-side, Papa Douba Diop emerged as the best signing he made. He plugged a huge hold in our midfield, while also scoring some important goals and Liam Rosenior came through as a makeshift left back (he’s only goot a right foot). And once Coleman realized that perhaps two strikers would be better than one, McBRide got his chance and proved what some of us already knew – he can and will score goals regualrly with both his feet and his head. Goma came back from injury to shore up our defence just before it was too late (and probably helped Zat Knight get his first full England call-up. If he plays on the somewhat meaingless England promotional tour of the US he’ll be the first active Fulham player to play for England since George Cohen in 1966, unbelievably enough.
And at the end of season dinner last Sunday, Dad (been going to Craven Cottage since 1938) got to meet the legendary Johnny Haynes and got his autograph. Probably the greatest-ever Fulham player and captain of England while at Fulham.