By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (Oct 17, 2011) US Soccer Players -- During Saturday's Stoke City - Fulham game, one of the commentators mentioned Fulham's tendency to play down the middle. Specifically, Clint Dempsey's tendency to move toward center. This denies Fulham a fully formed wide game.
Fair enough point, especially when Fulham's offense stalled in a 2-0 loss at Stoke. Then again, what was Fulham supposed to be doing? Not in theory, but in practice based on previous games and the tendencies of the players on the field.
Goalkeepers should be able to play as an 11th field player, midfielders should create multiple points of attack while taking up defensive assignment, and forwards should be there to head the ball away when the defense is overwhelmed. And at any available moment, pass like the ball is on fire.
Meanwhile, too many managers - much less pundits - preach options like that's always the preference, even if it means teams unable to get the basics working on the field. A team playing to their obvious strengths has become something of a rarity. As the thinking goes, it's simply too easy to predict. Teams have you figured out before the opening whistle if all you're going to do is exactly what's expected.
Sure, that's all but expected from the prestige teams that spend on all-star elevens, but those teams are exceptions across the board. It doesn't take a tactical genius to figure out how to get his elite team three points at a club that's flattered by the middle of the table.
At the same time, those elite teams are the ones that have multiple dimensions, shifting points of attack, and position players capable of doing more than expected by default. After all, the club paid good money for that.
It's the teams that aren't 20 elite players deep getting themselves into trouble by trying to play to a level they're not built to reach.
Fulham's Martin Jol is no lightweight when it comes to planning. Far from it. One of the hesitations in deciding on taking the Fulham job was likely the same thing all good coaches consider when not taking over one of the prestige clubs. How much can I do, how much support will I have, and how likely is it to work?
With Fulham, Jol has an obvious point of attack. Andy Johnson and Bobby Zamora in position in the center of attack doing what a good strike partnership are paid to do and Clint Dempsey capable of scoring from distance, providing the crucial pass to setup a goal, or being in position for the rebound.
That's the extent of what Fulham does at full strength playing their game. It requires Dempsey moving from left to center to really work. When it does, nobody should be complaining about giving up width.
Problems occur when a club like Fulham tries to play against the obvious. It rarely adds another dimension. Instead, it usually just creates more issues. That's almost a given when a team isn't likely to adapt over 90 minutes. That's no knock against Fulham, just an appreciation of the reality of their situation. Developing a set of attacking moves at Premier League level is no easy task, and it's why the teams that can't afford a top four squad are so easily derailed by injury.
For those teams, the whole point is playing to their strength. More often than not, that's singular rather than plural.
It's easy enough to see Dempsey taking the ball through the center of the field only for an attacking move to break down and wonder why he didn't take advantage of the space on the left. Why have a left sided player bring the ball in when Danny Murphy is perfectly capable? Because that's not what Fulham does. That's not a throwaway answer. It's tougher to ask what really happens if Fulham decides to develop a part of the game that's simply not theirs.
Rather than playing missing pieces soccer, Fulham are stressing their game. Regardless of the result, it's one that should keep them out of trouble over the course of a season. That's by design. If not outlined on a whiteboard somewhere, it remains the likeliest outcome with these attacking players on the field at the same time. When it works, it's a strength not a shortcoming. When it doesn't, it's not necessarily a problem that needs to be solved.
Comments, questions, solutions to problems that have yet to present themselves. Please, tell me all about it.
