Fulham’s Young Guns Prove Squad Isn’t Age-Old Problem

Article by Barnaby Mollett

Fulham’s 1-1 draw at Norwich in the FA Cup on Saturday saw no less than seven players aged 21 and under in the Cottagers’ squad. For a team often depicted by pundits has being old, grey, and having an average age of somewhere between 31 and Methuselah, this was a welcome riposte in the form of some exciting youthful talent. However, what did the Fulham fans travelling to Norwich know about these starlets? In fact, what do any fans of the Whites know about them at all? I thought it time for a thorough exposé on the Fulham 7…

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Name: Dan Burn
Squad Number: 33
The Cold, Hard Facts: Burn joined Fulham from Darlington in 2011; at 6' 6", the big defender seemed to be Brede Hangeland Mark II. Although it's a major step up from League Two to the Premier League (although our abject defensive performances early in the season wouldn't have held up against Ebbsfleet away), Burn got valuable experience at Yeovil in League One, playing 37 games scoring in the play-off final. He's played almost every game for Birmingham in the Championship this year, and judging by the reaction on Twitter, the news his loan had been terminated gave Blues fans... the blues. His solid performance against Norwich in the FA Cup will surely mean Fulham's ideal defensive partnership in a month's time will be literally the tallest duo since the Petronas Towers or Hall & Oates on stilts.
Could Be: The answer to Fulham's defensive problems.
Hopefully Isn’t: Roger Johnson. West Ham's panic buy from Wolves suggests not all defenders recently playing in League One can actually defend.

Name: Chris David
Squad Number: 30
Age: 20
The Cold, Hard Facts: When Fulham were in desperate need of some midfield experience after losing Dembele, Dempsey, Murphy and Etuhu, teenager Chris David (no relation to Craig, thankfully) was not really the answer. No team could survive with a midfield of solely Steve Sidwell. Nonetheless, Fulham scraped to safety last season, and thankfully Scott Parker appeared. Chris David was captaining the Dutch Under-19s one minute, then playing with Fulham's youngsters and reserves the next. However, he's impressed the coaches and got himself to the team fringes now, and 90-minutes in the FA Cup an an assist under his belt, Chris David is surely a long-term successor of a central midfield berth.
Could Be: Cesc Fabregas. We may as well dream at this stage, but he's certainly getting experience quickly - and will hang around for longer than namesake Craig did in his philandering hit song 'Seven Days'.
Hopefully Isn’t: Collins John. Another young Dutchman Fulham acquired, who despite somehow being top scorer for the Whites in 2005/06 with 11 completely inconsequential goals, was a huge disappointment.

Name: Moussa Dembele
Squad Number: 45
Age: 17
The Cold, Hard Facts: Bought from PSG from under the noses of some of Europe's elite, this Dembele arrived as the other departed. Has scored truckloads of goals in the reserves this season, after scoring a hat trick in the under-18s cup final last season against Reading. He scored 5 goals in 4 appearances for the under-21s this season, before being elevated to the first team squad. Big clubs are reported to be looking at him. He's made a brief 7-minute cameo in the league, before injury took him out of action. Made the bench against Norwich, and with Bent missing the target with the frequency of an inebriated archer standing on the boat from 'A Perfect Storm', Dembele is going to get minutes and those minutes will get him goals, if history is anything to go by.
Could Be: Fulham's all-time top PL goalscorer in 5 years' time.
Hopefully Isn’t: Poached. Manchester United and Liverpool are hanging around, and others will join the hunt. Use the kid while we've got both him and a respected coach like Rene Meulensteen.

Name: Jesse Joronen
Squad Number: 41
Age: 20
The Cold, Hard Facts: I always signed him on Football Manager, and he always came good. Sure, these aren't cold, hart facts. But these are: Joronen, a 6 foot 5-and-a-half inch Finnish full international (making his debut in January 2013), played 18 games on loan in Finland's top flight for FC Lahti and has been tipped by ex-Fulham stopper Antti Niemi to have a bright future. Yet to play for Fulham, but made the bench against Norwich. It's nice to know we've got a full international as our third-choice keeper (possibly fourth-choice, behind Philippines international Neil Etheridge).
Could Be: Antti Niemi. That would be more than good news.
Hopefully Isn’t: Massimo Taibi. That doesn't need any explanation.

Name: Pajtim Kasami
Squad Number: 8
Age: 21
The Cold, Hard Facts: Of this list, lil' old Pajtim is the player Fulham fans will be most familiar with, having played 19 times in the Premier League this season, and scoring 3 goals, including an absolute belter against Palace that hit the spot like a good plate of bangers and mash. However, at the end of last season, few fans could've picked Kasami out of a line-up of one - despite being bought in July 2011, he only made fleeting appearances in the squad, and spent early 2013 on loan at Lucerne in Switzerland. For all the bad decisions Martin Jol might've made this season, the seemingly random selection of Kasami against Sunderland on the opening day of the season paid off; Kasami scored the winner, and since then has been in the first team squad. He's also played twice for Switzerland, and is relatively versatile as attacking midfielders go, exhibiting good strength on many occasion this term to hold up the ball when more senior players can't (I'm looking at you, Bryan Ruiz).
Could Be: What Bryan Ruiz promised to be.
Hopefully Isn’t: Ahmad Elrich. The former Fulham man and Australian international was tipped for big things, but is now in jail for gun possession.

Name: Ange-Freddy Plumain
Squad Number: 34
Age: 18
The Cold, Hard Facts: Ange-Freddy came to Fulham and there was speculation that the club could face a transfer embargo similar to that which affected Chelsea when they bought 16-year old Gael Kakuta (incidentally, former Fulham loanee Kakuta is still a Chelsea player and still being sent out on loan – currently to Vitesse). However, this blew over as nothing more than a caffeine-free storm in a cup of Roobois, and Plumain was free to play for the Cottagers. He’s played 7 under-21 games this season, and played the whole second half against Norwich in the FA Cup last weekend. Competent as a central attacking midfielder, or on either wing, he played twenty matches in Ligue 2 for Lens last season, having started the season turning out for Lens II 15 times in the division below. With experience of stepping up a level mid-season, he may be an excellent impact sub in the coming months.
Could Be: A new Luis Boa Morte.
Hopefully Isn’t: Hameur Bouzza. Despite having one of the greatest terrace chants (‘Stop… Hameur Time!’ to the tune of MC Hammer’s U Can’t Touch This), the Algerian player never replicated the form of his Watford days at Craven Cottage.

Name: Lasse Vigen Christensen
Squad Number: 37
Age: 19
The Cold, Hard Facts: Certainly not short on match play this season (having played 16 matches at U21 level for club and country this season, scoring 2 goals with 4 assists), Christensen is an excellent prospect. Looked at home in the 21 minutes he played in the FA Cup, even if it was a brief period. The Dane will add further strength to Fulham’s midfield ranks, and may get further first-team chances under Meulensteen’s guidance this season.
Could Be: A key player in Fulham’s midfield; tomorrow’s Parker, Murphy or Legwinski.
Hopefully Isn’t: Simon Elliott. The second questionable Australasian player featured in this article.

With Marcello Trotta (21 years old) having the season of his life at Brentford, high hopes for currently-on-loan winger Mesca (20), and Alexander Kačaniklić an established first-team regular at just 22, there is certainly a talented new generation of footballers at Fulham. Oh, and if our under-18s have won the Premier Academy League the last two seasons running, there are number of other talents I’ve not included here. Here’s hoping that some of these prospects get the chance to shine alongside the experienced heads at the Cottage, and that the ‘ageing squad’ jibes can be hushed once and for all.

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