Football writer Alex Keble assesses each Premier League club and their prospects for the 2024/25 season.
Fulham
This time last year there was widespread concern that Fulham, having lost Aleksandar Mitrovic, and with Joao Palhinha halfway out the door, were set for a classic case of second-season syndrome.
Marco Silva did brilliantly to swerve that fate, yet it should be acknowledged he was helped by Palhinha remaining to anchor the midfield. That is no longer the case.
But there is good news. After consolidating last season, Fulham’s transfer activity has been that of a club looking up, and not down.
Performance last season
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
38 | -1 | 49 |
| 11 |
Brighton & Hove Albion
BHA
|
38 | -7 | 48 |
| 12 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
38 | -13 | 48 |
| 13 |
Fulham
FUL
|
38 | -6 | 47 |
| 14 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers
WOL
|
38 | -15 | 46 |
FA Cup: Fourth round
EFL Cup: Semi-final
Last five seasons
| Season | League position |
|---|---|
| 2019/20 | 4th (Championship) |
| 2020/21 | 18th |
| 2021/22 | 1st (Championship) |
| 2022/23 | 10th |
| 2023/24 | 13th |
Best Premier League finish
Seventh: 2008/09
See: More about Fulham's history
Season aims
Holding their ground in mid-table and pushing towards the top half remains the best Fulham can hope for after a summer of big moves in and out of the club.
Fulham still don’t have a reliable goalscorer and we don’t yet know what their midfield will look out without Palhinha. Standing still is progress.
Key transfers
Losing Palhinha to Bayern Munich was bad enough. Tosin Adarabioyo leaving for Chelsea adds insult to injury, although Jorge Cuenca has been recruited from Villarreal to fill the void at centre-back.
If they can sign Scott McTominay, that would certainly lighten the burden in midfield.
The biggest deal of all, however, was securing Emile Smith Rowe: a symbol of Fulham’s progress and, if he stays fit, the most gifted player at Craven Cottage since Dimitar Berbatov.
Fulham's key transfers so far
| Player | Transfer Type | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Tosin Adarabioyo |  Released |
Chelsea |
| Joao Palhinha | Transfer Out |
Bayern Munich |
| Ryan Sessegnon |  Transfer In |
Tottenham Hotspur |
| Emile Smith Rowe | Transfer In |
Arsenal |
| Jorge Cuenca | Transfer In |
Villarreal |
See: Clubs' summer 2024 transfers
Tactics
Silva’s approach is relatively simple: get the ball out wide and cross it in for the target man.
In 2023/24, 75 per cent of Fulham’s attacks were built out wide, the fifth-most in the Premier League, and only Brentford completed more crosses than their 94.
The new signings aid this approach. Smith Rowe can add some more guile between the lines, helping shuttle the ball out wide, and McTominay – if signed – has the aerial ability to make up for Fulham’s lack of a goalscoring No 9.
Pre-season results and fixtures
24 July Fulham 4-0 QPR Report
27 July Fulham 6-1 Watford Report
2 Aug Benfica 0-1 Fulham Report
5 Aug Sevilla 2-1 Fulham Fulham report
10 Aug v Hoffenheim (Sinsheim) Details
Best XI (4-2-3-1)
Bernd Leno; Timothy Castagne, Issa Diop, Calvin Bassey, Antonee Robinson; Sasa Lukic, Harrison Reed; Harry Wilson, Andreas Pereira, Emile Smith Rowe; Rodrigo Muniz.
Opening PL fixtures
Kits
See: More details at Fulham's online store
