2024-25 Season Review

Review of Fulham’s 2024-25 Season

I’m really interested to see what the rest of you have to say about this season. I’m going to hit on a few topics:

• Memory of the Season
• Nightmare of the Season
• Goal of the Season
• Least Valuable Player of the Season
• Player of the Season

Memory of the Season
This season was stocked with a number of memorable moments: Muniz’s injury-time winner at Stamford Bridge. Ryan Sessegnon’s first minute goal against Wolverhampton. Beating Manchester United on penalties in the FA Cup. Being just the second team to beat Liverpool in the league. Getting the record breaking points total against rival Brentford. Beating Brentford in such a way in their last home match that most Bees fans skipped their lap of honor. Tom Cairney’s emotional farewell (probably).

Those are all worthy, but there is one memory that stands out above all the rest for me - Harry Wilson’s two injury-time goals to come from behind and beat Brentford at Craven Cottage. Defeat seemed likely, a point would have been nice, but winning seemed impossible as regulation time drew to a close against Brentford. But there was Wilson! First with an audacious “did he mean it?” chip shot, followed by a less pretty but still effective shoulder that sent the ball in for the shocking winner. “Who put the ball in the Brentford net? Harry Fucking Wilson.” I’ll never forget that one. And then for good measure, he did it again!

Nightmare of the Season
What was the one moment that we would rather not think about again? Being on the wrong side of a record setting penalty shoot out against Preston is certainly worthy. The collapse against Palace in the FA Cup too. But for me I’m going with a symbol of the biggest problem with Fulham’s season - the Danny Ings injury time goal to get West Ham a draw. That feeling - that Fulham should have gotten more after getting a lead - would be repeated again and again. Manchester City (L), Aston Villa (L), Everton (D), Wolverhampton (L), Arsenal (D), Liverpool (D), Bournemouth (D), Brighton (L), Chelsea (L), Everton (L) - all matches where Fulham had a lead but dropped points. Fulham dropped a total of 28 points from a winning position. This past season the typical PL team only dropped 16 points. If Fulham had been typical and earned 12 more points they would have finished with 66 points - tied with Newcastle and Aston Villa. It would have meant certain European qualification, probably in the Europa League with a likely better GD than Villa. Lost opportunities that started with West Ham, that is what I’d like to forget.

Goal of the Season
Again, we have a variety of great ones to pick from. The previously mentioned injury time goals from Muniz and Wilson, and the first minute goal from Sessegnon. Then we have to add in the beautiful touch and turn from Muniz against Van Dijk - just mind-blowing control. Raul’s backheal to Pereira for the opening goal against Manchester City (if I had a category for assist of the season I’d probably give that). However there is only one goal that made me a little weepy - Sessegnon’s goal against Tottenham. It was representative of the classic Sessegnon, his ability to sense an opportunity as Leno’s long ball dropped just behind the Tottenham line and his innate goal scoring prowise as he turned and stroked the ball in with his right foot. But it was also representative of the new Sessegnon, a much stronger player who could shrug off a defender and claim his space. The goal on its own didn’t mean much in Fulham’s season, but coming against his old team, with his new/old team, it meant everything for Sessegnon. As he walked calmly to the corner flag after putting the ball away, it was a statement about the player he can be.

Least Valuable Player of the Season
Emile Smith Rowe was a record signing but by the time we got to the end of the season I would prefer he didn’t even play. I would rather see Pereira, Iwobi, Wilson, or King as the attacking midfielder. He just seemed invisible, a giant hole on the pitch so that everything had to go down the wings. Smith Rowe was 6th on the assists depth chart with three. For goals he was better, placing 4th on the depth chart with 6. The same number of goals as Harry Wilson who played almost half as many minutes. Over the course of the season he delivered two through-balls. One fewer than Berge who’s natural instinct is to go backwards. I hope Smith Rowe can find a more productive way to play for Fulham over the summer because it looks like he’ll be here for a while.

Player of the Season
I have to give honorable mentions to Sander Berge and Calvin Bassey. Berge helped fill the Palhinha sized hole in the midfield that seemed like it might be big enough to sink Fulham. That was huge for Fulham, but I wanted to see more from him on the attacking side of the ball. I know that isn’t his focus, but I really wanted him to push forward more in possession. Bassey became the leader of the back line when it seemed like Andersen would take that mantle. CB’s aren’t normally “fun” to watch, but I like seeing Bassey play. Sessegnon and Wilson both delivered some great memories, but just didn’t play enough minutes.

For me, the player of the season was Bernd Leno. His presence in net was almost error free, which makes his few mistakes stand out. Yes, Fulham lost a lot of leads, but it always felt like it was because they didn’t convert chances to get a second goal rather than giving up sloppy shots. In the Premier Leagues’ top 25 goals of the season there were a couple worldies against Leno, because that is often what it took to get past him. The gap between Leno and Benda is also immense. If Leno had gone out injured I shudder to think what would have happened to Fulham. I don’t think Leno would be the choice for most Fulham fans, but to me he deserves the honor.

So what do you think? What were the highs and lows of the season? Overall it was a net positive for me with a tinge of disappointment that Fulham couldn’t take the opportunities that were presented to them this season to do even more.