In what was a pretty lacklustre game between two teams chasing automatic promotion, Scott Parker’s Fulham ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a controversial Harry Arter strike. Even without talismanic striker Aleksander Mitrovic or Tom Cairney, Fulham dominated possession, just lacking any real penetration.
Scott Parker set up his side in his preferred 4-3-3, with Bobby Decordova-Reid playing as a false nine in the Serbians absence. In typical Fulham fashion they saw a lot of the ball, however the final pass was lacking. It took a wonderful strike from 25 yards out from Arter to separate the sides, although a handball in the build-up could have seen it disallowed had VAR been in play.
Nottingham Forest were set up in a 4-2-3-1 that looked to exploit Fulham on the counter attack, using quick wingers and full backs in the spaces behind the defence.
Ratings
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Josh Onomah
Player Profile:
- Nationality: English
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 27/04/1997
- Current Club: Fulham
- Career: Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa (L), Sheffield Wednesday (L), Fulham
- Position: Centre Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Starting on the left side of the midfield three, Onomah was the most advanced out of the trio almost playing as a lopsided number ten. In the second half when Harry Arter was substituted due to injury, Onomah dropped into a deeper role alongside Harrison Reed.
In the first half, Onomah drifted in and out of the game, starting off with some misplaced passes and sloppy touches, but as the game went on he became more assured in his play, having his only shot of the game in the 32nd minute blocked. Once Onomah looked to get into his groove, he was linking play well using one and two-touch passing to keep his team ticking along.
Physically he is strong on the ball, being able to hold players off while receiving the ball before shifting it to a teammate. It became clear quite early that he prefers the ball into his feet instead of into space as he lacks any real pace, making him not much of a threat in behind. When Fulham were out of possession they often looked to apply pressure to Forest, however Onomah was not very aggressive in the press, making it easy to be bypassed.
All in all, I think Onomah struggled to impose himself throughout the match, even when moved to a deeper position. It was clear to see his frustration, which lead to him kicking out and subsequently being booked after a strong tackle from Samba Sow. He has the technical ability but other than that nothing overly stood out to me.
Rating – B2
Marek Rodak
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Slovakian
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 13/12/1996
- Current Club: Fulham
- Career: Kosice (Y), Fulham (Y), Farnborough (L), Welling (L), Accrington Stanley (L), Rotherham (L), Fulham
- Position: Goalkeeper
- Preferred foot: Right
With Fulham dominating the play, Rodak did not have a lot to do during the match. He looked composed with the ball at his feet, especially when being pressed by the opposition. His short distribution was consistently accurate throughout the match, however his long distribution left a little to be desired. Often overhit or inaccurate, his long passing stifled Fulham’s attempts to bypass the press.
The Slovakian did not dominate his box, preferring to stay on his line for set pieces. When he did look to come and claim crosses, he did not look convincing at all, fumbling one in the first half only to be reprieved by a soft foul.
One thing that I thought stood out to be a strong quality of Rodak’s was his footwork. When he was tested he managed to shift his feet quickly, including an audacious chip attempt that almost caught him out. There was only one shot that was worthy of a save, which from 25 yards out and that was at a good height for Rodak and saw him easily claim.
Overall there was little to judge Rodak on as he was hardly tested, to gauge his ability or potential better I would suggest rewatching him in a more active game.
Rating – B1
Target Scouting 