AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth will be hoping to record a second successive Premier League double when they meet Fulham at Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Ahead of the game, afcb.co.uk caught up with Evening Standard football correspondent Giuseppe Muro.
afcb.co.uk: Fulham sacked both Slavisa Jokanovic and Claudio Ranieri this season – what are your views on the timings of their departures?
Giuseppe: There must be times when Fulham owner Shahid Khan wishes he had sacked Claudio Ranieri sooner and given Scott Parker a proper chance to save them from relegation.
Fulham were already doomed when Parker took over in February but if he had been given more time then he might have been able to keep them up.
Slavisa Jokanovic, who was sacked in November, was not the man to blame for Fulham’s poor start. Ranieri’s time in charge was where Fulham went wrong.
afcb.co.uk: Scott Parker (above) seems to have been a popular choice as caretaker-manager – what has he done differently and do you think he would be the right man for the job?
Giuseppe: Without a doubt, he’s the right man for the job.
There has not been much to smile about for Fulham fans this season but Parker has given the whole club a lift and is already well underway with the rebuilding for next season.
He’s a talented English manager who is highly thought of within the FA coaching set-up at St George's Park.
I think he can repair some of the damage of this season and get the club in a better place, much like Darren Moore did at West Brom.
afcb.co.uk: In your opinion, what are the main reasons behind Fulham’s poor showing this season?
Giuseppe: Where do we start? Their recruitment after they got promoted last summer was probably the biggest problem.
They spent more than £100million on 12 new players and too many of them failed to deliver.
Slavisa Jokanovic was sacked after 12 matches and the appointment of Claudio Ranieri did not work.
Conceding goals has been a major issue all season – they have let in 76 goals.
On top of that, there have been a few things off the field, like when Aboubakar Kamara and Aleksandar Mitrovic clashed during a yoga session or when Alfie Mawson injured his knee changing his boots at half-time. It has just been one of those seasons.
afcb.co.uk: The Championship is such a competitive division – do you think Fulham can bounce back immediately?
Giuseppe: Yes. It will not be easy but the club is in a better position than when they last went down in 2014 and they have several talented young players who can get opportunities in the Championship.
A lot of their big-money signings will leave and they are likely to lose Ryan Sessegnon (above), but the core of the team who got them up last season should remain. Players like Tom Cairney, Kevin McDonald, Marcus Bettinelli and Tim Ream.
afcb.co.uk: Who is Fulham’s dangerman?
Giuseppe: Tom Cairney. He was the best player in the Championship last season but has had a difficult season in the Premier League.
He was injured at the start of the season and then Claudio Ranieri played him out of position on the right.
But Scott Parker has brought him back to his favoured central role and he is looking back to his best. He’s a really talented player who makes Fulham tick.
afcb.co.uk: Who is Fulham’s one for the future?
Giuseppe: Harvey Elliott (above).
He’s a 16-year-old winger who became Fulham’s youngest player when he made his debut at Millwall in the Carabao Cup in September, aged 15.
Elliott was named on the bench for last week’s 2-0 win against Everton and has a big future.
afcb.co.uk: What’s your score prediction?
Giuseppe: I’m going with 2-1 to Fulham. They haven’t won away from home all season but looked good against Everton.
You can follow Giuseppe on Twitter at @giuseppemuro
