Fulham’s start to the season has been rocky.
The Whites are probably right where they belong. They’ve won the games they were supposed to win and lost the games they deserved to lose.
Overall, it’s been a solid, if not spectacular, start to the season, but there’s an issue brewing at Craven Cottage.
While Fulham haven’t played poorly, their lack of a goal threat is obvious.
They’ve only scored eight league goals so far this season, with Bobby Decordova-Reid leading the way with two.
The absence of Aleksandar Mitrovic is certainly felt in west London, and Paul Merson addressed this issue in his Sportskeeda column, while also mentioning Carlos Vinicius’ inability to fill his shoes.
Vinicius is not on the same level as Mitrovic.
Merson delivered his verdict on Fulham’s strike issues and the £5 million man.
“Fulham played well last weekend, but Tottenham won 2-0.” I expect something similar this time, so I’m going with a 2-0 Brighton victory. Fulham miss Aleksandar Mitrovic up front; he was their X-factor when a goal was needed. “Carlos Vinicius is a good player, but he’s not in the same league as him, and I believe that’s where they’ve struggled this season,” Merson wrote.
It is not Vinicius’ responsibility.
Merson is correct; Vinicius is not on Mitrovic’s level, but he was never meant to be.
Raul Jimenez was supposed to be Fulham’s first-choice striker this season, but he’s been abysmal since his arrival. He hasn’t even threatened to take a shot, let alone score a goal, and his drought is a major concern.
Of course, it’s easy to blame Vinicius because he’s been here longer and started more recently, but Jimenez’s flaws are more concerning after Fulham brought him in to replace the Serbian this summer.
