Fulham can’t afford to play catch-up on transfers again

HAVING bungled automatic promotion once, Fulham are anxious to finish the job against Preston on Tuesday and avoid a transfer trolley-dash that has blighted their last two Premier League campaigns.

Their last promotions in 2018 and 2020 came through the play-offs, which meant less time to recruit players and then subsequent relegations, first under Slavisa Jokanovic and Claudio Ranieri and then Scott Parker.

Playing catch-up two years ago, they were forced to sign three loan players on deadline day: Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Joachim Andersen and Tosin Adarabioyo. They proved useful players but by the time they clicked, Fulham were already bottom and in trouble with only one point from their opening six matches. This time, the club believe they have the right manager in Marco Silva and have already scouted far and wide with the target of swooping quickly for six new signings.

The only missing piece of the jigsaw is confirming their Premier League status. It could have been achieved on Good Friday but they blew a half-time lead against Derby and lost 2-1 — their third defeat in five games.

It won’t matter should Nottingham Forest lose to West Brom tomorrow or Fulham secure three points at Craven Cottage the following evening. But another stumble would cause concern, with Fulham’s final four fixtures all toughies against Bournemouth, Forest, Luton and Sheffield United.

Defender Joe Bryan is trying to blot out the significance of facing Preston this week.

‘I don’t want to talk about parties. We have had it drilled into us by the manager that we take every single game at a time,’ he said.

‘We can’t feel sorry for ourselves and dwell on the Derby game. Finishing it off at home would be the ideal scenario now.’

Silva added: ‘We have to focus from first until last. Forget what will happen if we win — we have to keep all these emotions until the end of the game. You can’t use pressure as an excuse.’