Ahead of the final game of the season, I caught up with Andrew Beck from http://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com.
Last weekend wasn’t the best for Fulham. Has it been a disappointing season all round? It has been pretty disappointing. Although the low point was probably the Hull City game. Up two goals deep into the second half, a win there made safety fairly likely. But dropping points effectively ended the campaign. The problem this year was basically Martin Jol. Since his departure, the team has basically played like a mid table squad and just been slightly unlucky. But the hole was so deep, it couldn’t be recovered.
Do you think that Magarth will be the man to propel Fulham back into the Premier League?
I’m not entirely sure. The team is in a weird place. I think Magath could get the team back up. But his contract expires at the end of next season. I don’t really like the idea of having a lame duck coach all year. Though I also don’t like the idea of hiring someone like Ian Holloway who might get you back up, but who you need to replace upon promotion. I’d really like to settle on someone who is comfortable trying to bring the team back up, but will be able to stick around when they get there. If Magath is that guy, I’d like to see them give him and extra year or two on his contract. If he’s not, I’d like them to hire someone as soon as the season ends.
How have you viewed Palace’s season so far- have we done well?
I’m pretty shocked by Palace’s season to be frank. I pegged them to go down at the beginning of the year. But Tony Pulis is some sort of football genius. The play might not be pretty, but I don’t think you can ever argue with his results. The only question is how long the supporters and ownership will put up with his style. Although, to my eyes, he hasn’t seemed as dour at Palace as he did at Stoke.
Who have been the stand out performers so far this season for Fulham?
Ashkan Dejagah and Steve Sidwell. Steve has had an up and down year. He’s made some bad fouls that led to set piece goals. He’s had a few defensive blunders. But he’s scored timely goals, and quite a bit more than you would expect from him. Dejagah on the other hand is just a great player. In the 2012-2013 season, Fulham were doing quite well until his season ended with an injury. For some reason Martin Jol didn’t play when he came back. When he was finally put back into the squad, their performances turned around. It seems weird to point April 1st, 2013 as a turning point but to me it really was. When he left the team had 39 points through 30 games. They only managed 4 in their last eight. And those struggles continued into this season.
Who do you think carries the greatest threat in the Palace side?
The weird thing is on an individual basis, I’m not that scared of anyone. Can I say Tony Pulis? Palace is a team that is very much greater than the sum of their parts.
Finally, what’s your score prediction for the game?
All indications is that this is going to be a very different Fulham side. Fulham have had some impressive youth squads over the last few years, and you might quite a few of those players feature on Sunday. It’s always impossible to say what kind of performance a squad like that will put in. To make matters worse, I can’t imagine palace caring about much after that Liverpool result. That really should be the cherry on top of their season. A meaningless game against some kids at Craven Cottage might be hard to get up for. I’m guessing it will be a sloppy game with a few goals. If I had to guess I’d say 3-2 Fulham, but I have no idea.
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