Nice summary

[MikeW]

From tomorrow's Sunday Times:

Fulham heard it all last season, the idea that they were too pretty for the Championship, that to win promotion would require less of the cuteness of Tom Cairney and more in the way of athletic thuggery. They had fallen short, just, the previous campaign and yet did not change too much in the way of philosophy. They are a passing team who like possession, clever angles and pacey runs and lit up Wembley in May in the play-off final.

They also delivered a burst of pragmatism against Aston Villa that day — after Denis Odoi was sent off — to cling on to their slender lead. Yes, they are awfully nice to watch but Slavisa Jokanovic has instilled a sliver of grit. This was reflected in the attitude of the club's owner this summer. Shahid Khan invested £100million to ensure that Fulham would not be found to be too flimsy back in Premier League. With Odoi suspended against Palace and the excellent and reliable Tim Ream injured, Jokanovic had to make immediate use of his enlarged squad.


While a bonus that he could find replacements in the form of Calum Chambers and Maxime Le Marchand it was far from ideal to start the new season with a defence that was probably struggling to put names to its own faces. Joe Bryan, the left-back, might have even struggled to recall which club had bought him given it was considered a fait accompli that he would be joining Aston Villa on deadline day. They were a makeshift side for their opening game but dazzled intermittently all the same.

Jean Michael Seri oozes class and Ryan Sessegnon continues to grow as a versatile talent. Chambers was slow to react as Jeffrey Schlupp lined up the shot that gave Palace the lead and the defence as a unit failed to cope with the pace and class of Wilfried Zaha. But beyond that the team did not commit too many errors and Palace needed Wayne Hennessey to be in fine form, particularly in denying Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Roy Hodgson's team were far less flamboyant but he inherited a side last season that had wilted horribly while trying to play a form of total football under Frank de Boer and it took until October 14 for them to win their first game. You will not see any freeform jazz from his team this campaign. It is far too risky. The motto is: if Zaha is fit, they can win. Fulham, though, will take risks this season and while it might take time for them to adapt, it will be worth watching them try.

[Neil D]

From tomorrow's Sunday Times:

But beyond that the team did not commit too many errors and Palace needed Wayne Hennessey to be in fine form, particularly in denying Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The game hinged on the two goalkeepers.

[HV71]

Thanks MikeW - very good assessment from the ST

[Statto]

Thanks MikeW - very good assessment from the ST

+1

[Lighthouse]

Rather annoyingly it is a good report and summary. Thanks for posting.

[Robbie]

We have basically fired much of our winning team and hired some very expensive players we cant afford not to play.  Interesting times !

[gezkc]

We have basically fired much of our winning team and hired some very expensive players we cant afford not to play.  Interesting times !

You've posted basically the same thing on four different threads. Are you seriously giving up on the squad after one game (in which we actually played very well) and after the amazing transfer window we've had? I really don't understand how you can be so negative.

[General]

We have basically fired much of our winning team and hired some very expensive players we cant afford not to play.  Interesting times !

Who are you? I've seen at least three posts from you on today's game and all of them are simply defeatist/negative and inflammatory with hardly any genuine detail to them.

We're in a new league, we lost a game, we needed new players and the players we've brought in are a level up in quality. Slavisa said he wouldn't just play people for the sake of it unless they earned the right. You seem to talk an awful lot of nonsense.

[General]

We have basically fired much of our winning team and hired some very expensive players we cant afford not to play.  Interesting times !

Who are you? I've seen at least three posts from you on today's game and all of them are simply defeatist/negative and inflammatory with hardly any genuine detail to them.

We're in a new league, we lost a game, we needed new players and the players we've brought in are a level up in quality. Slavisa said he wouldn't just play people for the sake of it unless they earned the right. You seem to talk an awful lot of nonsense.

Scratch that I've just gone through your back catalogue of posts and it's a struggle to find a genuinely supportive one amongst them.