Tactic Talk – Why Fulham will be a joy to watch this season

Fulham have endured two defeats in two Premier League games thus far, following their return to the top-flight after four years. But the style of football deployed by Slavisa Jokanovic is destined to bring him success sooner rather than later.

Here, we take an in-depth look at how Fulham play their football, and why it will strike gold, given the quality of players they have in the squad.

Build-up play from the back

Understandably, playing out from the back is always a risky thing to try. However, if done incisively by quality players, the positive results will be there for the world to see in a short span of time. Fulham have some good players in their regular line-up, meaning it probably is a matter of time before they get act together in the passing game and carve teams open.

There is a pattern as to how a team should build-up play from the back. The 4-3-3 formation is best suited for this style since wide midfielders can station themselves on half-space, allowing centre-backs to have an option for a quick pass in possession. Meanwhile, the full-backs can move forward and stretch the pitch for the opposition defenders.

However, until now, the likes of Jean Michael Seri and Tom Cairney have played narrowly with the wingers slightly tucked in. So, there was more space for Tottenham wing-backs during their game on Saturday. Hence, this is where Jokanovic has to change things a bit, particularly when it comes to positioning his wingers wide and allowing midfielders to take up possession in half-spaces to keep the defenders guessing.

In any case, the Cottagers were quite attractive to watch in the two games, exhibiting a style of football that’s unique yet entertaining.

 A genuine threat in the final third

Ryan Sessegnon has exhibited pace from the wings to warn defenders of his quality. He will be a good attacking threat for Fulham to have, especially in counter-attacking situations. Aboubakar Kamara is another player who could work wonders, given his pace, physicality and eye for crucial passes to open up opposition defences.

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In Aleksandar Mitrovic, the Cottagers have a striker who can score goals, hold the ball up and be a genuine nuisance for the defenders from set-pieces. They also have the likes of Luciano Vietto and Andre Schurrle in their ranks to come in and show their true quality.

So, after perusing the assets and style of play, it goes without saying that Fulham will be an attractive prospect to watch this season.