The guts and determination Fulham have shown in the dying weeks of the season is highly creditable. An important result against Birmingham, an incredible comeback against Manchester City and, of course, that saving goal from Danny Murphy yesterday all playing crucial parts in Fulham’s survival. So if they could turn in on when the pressure was on why was the cottage so close to falling down in the first place?

The season started with so much promise after filling the ranks with 8 new faces including ex-Liverpool and Tottenham player Danny Murphy and Northern Ireland internationals David Healy and Aaron Hughes. The Cottagers season begun with a very close call against Arsenal; Healy instantly paying off his £1.5m summer price tag with a goal in the first minute of the game. However, they could not hold onto this early lead - a pattern their season tended to followed. (Fulham would have finished 12th had the table been based of half time results!).

Far From a Merry Christmas for Laurie Sanchez

After an encouraging start, the Fulham spirit was dealt some hefty blows and as Christmas approached had only two wins to their name. A change in personnel ensued bringing Laurie Sanchez’s spell at the helm of the Cottage to an end after just 8 months; Roy Hodgson taking over on 30 December literally marked a new year for Fulham.

Hodgson’s arrival didn’t alter Fulham’s wayward ways though. His first game in charge saw defeat to Chelsea (hardly unexpected) and then to West Ham and then Arsenal. Hodgson’s first points were against Bolton following a 0-0 draw.

Hope

But then on a Super Sunday Fulham’s season seemed in finally kick into gear. History was on their side as once again Everton were unable to overcome them at the Cottage. It may not appear as much of a turning part especially when you consider after that game they only picked up one point from their next three matches. However, the result against Everton, it gave them hope and brought home a truth or two: the main one being that their fate was still in their own hands.

And wasn’t it just. Eight games after their win to Everton, Fulham were celebrating their Premiership survival. So was it Roy’s 32 years of management experience that pulled the Cottagers out of the rubble or just a case of good timing?

Return of Fulham’s Favourites

For large parts of the season, Fulham were without several key players. First choice goalkeeper Kasey Keller was missing for five months, main goal scorer Brian McBride was absent after the first few games of the season and didn’t return until 3rd February and Jimmy Bullard’s season didn’t kick off until 19th January. Had these influential players been available I wonder whether Fulham would have found themselves one, in the position they were for most of the season and two, if Sanchez would have lost his job because of it.

That, I guess, is something we’ll never find out. Instead it’s onwards and upwards for Fulham and ensuring that they never experience such a threat to their Premiership lives again. And looking at their stats for the season, there’s much to do.

Fulham only managed to keep 7 cleansheets and five of them came in the second half of the season. So I guess that addressing the back line is somewhat of a priority. The Cottagers have been linked to defender Hugo Campagnaro. Currently playing for Sampdoria, the Argentine is keen on a move to the Premiership and so far Fulham and Newcastle lead the way in snatching him.

Goals have also been a problem this season. With McBride unavailable for a large part of the campaign, fellow American Clint Dempsey ended the season as Fulham’s top goal scorer with a meagre 6. Davies, Murphy and Zamara helped as much as they could with the goal scoring duties with 5 apiece but when you consider McBride managed 12 last season (and only netted 4 in 14 starts in this campaign) Fulham cannot run the risk of putting all their eggs into one basket again and so need to add some quality upfront.

But for now, we should let Fulham simply bask in the glow of survival. Many, myself included, wrote them off right until the end. But alas, deep they dug and now they can reap the rewards.

The Beckoning of Europe?

And now these survivors may be given a new challenge - a Uefa Cup place via the Fair Play Awards. Call me a pessimist, call me a whinger but I really fail to see the logic here. Here is a team that has struggled for best part of the season. Surely what is needed is to refresh, regroup and reassess in order to prevent the 2008/09 season telling the same story. Don’t throw a further complication into Fulham’s mix; it could actually be the root of their downfall.

But that’s just my opinion and I’m not a Cottagers fan. Perhaps the possibility of European football next season may lure some bigger and better players to the club or maybe, in the fan’s minds, it is a worthy reward for their grit and determination and a competition they are more than capable of competing in. You tell me.

Written by Rachel Wright