The filth. The Scum. The SW6 imitators. The other team in Fulham. Whatever we call them, you know that tomorrow lunchtime brings the biggest fixture in Fulham’s season. One win in Walham Green since 1979 suggests the history books are against Marco Silva’s side, but you know what they say about Stamford Bridge wins? They’re like London buses. Or I hope so… Here’s how Fulham conquer SW6 once more:
Tactical breakdown of the Blues
First off, let’s look how the filth will look to play, and how Fulham can stifle the Blues. Enzo Maresca loves to invert his full backs. CFC’s right back, pushes inside to help form a box midfield. Gusto inverts to form a pivot, alongside Caicedo. Cucerella slides across into a back three, whilst Enzo pushes forward to partner Pedro to form an attacking midfield double act, creating that infamous box midfield shape. This helps give the necessary space for Chelsea’s wingers to push high and wide, in theory stretching a defence, allowing Maresca’s men to create and exploit a litany of half spaces with individual brilliance of fast interchanges of play.
How Chelsea’s box midfield operates with Gusto pushing into midfield from the right to add numbers with the Blues on the ball
How can Fulham counteract Maresca’s box midfield, and touchline hugging wingers? Well, simply, be compact, pack numbers. Start in a back five. Sit deep, deploy a low block. Fulham mastered this last season. In our famous last vist, Silva neutralised a side who were supposedly title contenders. We pushed SW6’s unwanted child wide by staying compact in a back five. The Whites deployed defensive discipline to prevent Sancho and Neto from isolating Kenny Tete or Antonee Robinson, forcing the Blues into ‘empty’ crosses into a defensive box with no aerial threat – as you can see below:
Fulham were successful last year in pushing their opponents wide – limiting the threat to Bernd Leno’s goal
The player that will either make or break this game is Liam Delap. The powerful forward comes into the Blues’ line-up to provide what was missing on Boxing Day. The 22 year old, at 6’4, will be much more threatening than Nicholas Jackson. I’d go back to three centre halves to combat his aerial ability, but Delap didn’t score a single header last season. This term will be different. Delap will get many more chances to head it home than he did at Portman Road, but I see no reason why Fulham’s centre backs can’t keep him at bay. If we do, Fulham may be back in business at the Bridge.
How Fulham Should Attack The Filth
That’s enough on how Fulham defend our SW6 territory. How do we win? Don’t worry fellas and felletes, I’m about to tell you. As I’ve shown, Chelsea deploy a box midfield, inverting their full backs, Gusto into the middle of the park, as Cucuerlla tucks inside to form a back three. If Fulham can break at speed, Maresca’s merry bunch of mugs can be exposed out wide. Keep a rigid midfield base, and play the outlet wide ball. Exploit the space left by Gusto’s central inroads, and Cucurella’s tendency to tuck into a back three. Play into the channels, off Muniz, or emulate our first half passages of play we flashed against Bristol City, with quick, concise passages of play unleashing the Whites’ wide options.
Charlie’s line-up will look to break through the ‘box midfield’ and hit the hosts out wide with five at the back providing solidity
In a game like this, where the plan will be centred around threat from the flanks, Marco could really use some more direct, dynamic, get to the byline type wingers. If only Fulham were about to bring in a couple of wingers of that profile… Oh wait, they are. But due to Fulham’s slow recruitment, they won’t be available for our biggest game of the season. Cheers, Tony.
How the Whites should start
Fulham have to start in a back five, so, of course, it’s the same as our last visit to the Bridge, 5–4–1. Kenny Tete loses his spot in a back three, instead slotting into his right wing back, to make way for the added need of physical presence to deal with Liam Delap in defence.
Issa Diop comes in to add six feet, and four inches of physical prowess, alongside, my midweek man of the match, Jorge Cuenca, and defensive commander and chief, Joachim Andersen. We saw last Boxing Day how Calvin Bassey can maraud forward, since then his attacking ability has just gained acclaim. In a game where Fulham need wing consolidation to compete with a duet of high flying wide wingers, Bassey is the best option Silva has at his disposal to shut down the Blues’ right wing, all the whole still adding yet more aerial stature to drown out Liam Delap’s aerial threat. With that said, Bassey still holds an ability to get up and down the pitch to take part in fast moving counter attacks.
Whilst Berge and Lukic should start in central midfield, I’m not against the inclusion of Harrison Reed. The Ginger Iniesta impressed me last Wednesday. I’ve been banging on about Fulham’s need for a number six for months. At the moment, Reed is the closest Marco Silva has to a genuine holding midfielder. He should at the very least get off the bench, tomorrow afternoon. Fulham may well need some added midfield grit. Harrison’s your man, Marco.
In my line-up, Ryan Sessegnon starts on the left. The Roehampton boy is the byline-pushing, direct winger Fulham need to hit the home side on the break. Having also operated as a left back, Sessegnon – always known for his maturity – marries that undoubted attacking ability with the defensive knowhow that will lend more help in a low block to the Cottagers’ back five.
Josh King starts on the right wing. A surprise perhaps? Maybe, but don’t forget that Josh has played on the wing at points throughout his youth career. King came on against the Hammers from the left wing, and excelled, tying Aaron Wan-Bissaka in knots, remember? Not only can the talented teenager provide support in a packed central midfield without the ball, but King can quickly turn defence into attack in one diminutive turn, possessing the speed to offer real threat, on his stronger foot, down the Fulham right.
Of course, if Wilson is fit, he does start over King, as much as I want Josh in the team, Fulham need to be compact centrally, and Wilson’s electric start to the season, and his previous West London derby heroics cannot be ignored. If fit, Wilson starts. If not, King can prove a more than able deputy for our Welsh wizard.
Who starts up front? Who do you think? Rodrigo, ‘Money’, Muniz. There’s no need to dignify the debate with a detailed answer. Raul, you were superb on Wednesday night, but even you’ll understand this one, mate! Muniz could be 109 years old, after last year, I’d still back him to start on Fulham Broadway!
A message to the players
The Fulham boys should know from the celebrations last time round that a win in this derby means you are feted in Fulham folklore. No matter what Chelsea fans say, there are local bragging rights at stake here and history to uphold. The boys have to be up for it – and, under Silva, you fancy our chances.
I’ll see you bright and early at the Durrell Arms. There’s only one team in Fulham!