Fulview for March 2024

I have to kick March off with a big apology for not recognizing our sponsors over the last few months. A job change for me combined with some international travel kept me distracted from the most important thing in life - Fulham!

So, please give a big thanks to @sacffc for sponsoring November, @astroevan for December and January, and @pettyfog for February and March! Despite my negligence over the past few months, your support is greatly appreciated! Thanks for keeping the servers humming.

Fulham enters March in a pretty comfortable position with safety all but assured. Fulham is just six points away from 38 points - which is typically enough for safety. With 12 matches remaining, that should be easy to reach. Fulham are also well off the pace for any European spots so it looks like another mid-table finish for Fulham although likely a few spots lower than last season. My personal hope for Fulham is to finish above both Brentford and Chelsea.

With Fulham's future in Premier League likely to continue for another season, I present the question that is most on my mind now:

Is Rodrigo Muniz the real deal?

I thought after his first three goals against Burnley and Bournemouth it was just a fluke. But then he scored again against Villa and played incredibly well against Manchester United despite not scoring. His performance against Man. U. gave his critics a lot to consider. He did a great job of making sucking in defenders and getting the ball to players in space (kind of like a former Serbian we used to like). In the first half, his block, touch, pivot, shoot maneuver was a thing of beauty and would have been Goal of the Month for sure had it not crashed against the post. He set up a number of opportunities that really should have been converted by his teammates and his header to Traore is what set Fulham off on the winning goal.

Despite all that, I'm still skeptical. I'm thrilled he's on a good run and I hope it keeps going. However, his play still has a lack of polish to it that I think will catch up eventually. I won't be surprised if Fulham heads to Forest a month from now with Broja starting. Feburary 2024 was peak Muniz - I think it he reverts to form in March. Any Muniz fans want to argue otherwise?

 

Good question. I think we'll know the answer by the season's end. To me it seems that something just clicked for him; that there was that one thing that was holding him back, and that is now gone. His physical attributes are clear, so perhaps it was a matter of mentality. Perhaps now he believes he can hack it in the Prem so he does. Let's remember that Mitro was no different, and the same questions surrounded him until they didn't. Muniz is 22, and if he continues to perform, he'll have a chance to got with Brazil to the Paris Olympics, and that could be another motivating factor. I would love it if we didn't have to spend money on a striker in the summer.