Raul Jimenezs suspension makes Fulhams January striker decision that bit harder

June 08, 2024

There is something about facing Newcastle that clearly leads to bizarre challenges for Fulham.

Raul Jimenez’s straight red card was the club’s first since an exuberant lunge by Nathaniel Chalobah in this fixture in October last year, which resulted in a 4-1 defeat at Craven Cottage. That too was a rush of blood to the head that sent him flying into Sean Longstaff.

What Longstaff has done to merit such challenges is not immediately clear, but Jimenez’s dismissal did mean that Newcastle, who were perhaps vulnerable following a slew of injuries and a disappointing Champions League exit in midweek, would have a “quiet game”, as Marco Silva put it. There was more than an undertone of bitterness in those words.

Frustration in the Fulham camp centred on the way the match was officiated by referee Sam Barrott. Silva voiced that afterwards, suggesting that he lacked “experience.” The grievances lay not with the red card in the game, but in unpunished fouls that were perceived to be in contrast to the treatment of Newcastle. The main point of contention was an elbow by Jamal Lascelles on Jimenez moments before the red card.

Jimenez’s challenge was out of control (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

The dismissal of Jimenez was the decisive moment of the game nonetheless and, when you watch the challenge back, it is hard to suggest that the final decision was incorrect. Jimenez leapt into Longstaff peculiarly and at pace. The ball was not there to be won in the air either, which makes his leap into the challenge all the more perplexing.

A spiky Silva could, just about, see that too. “It was a late challenge from Raul,” he said. “The ball was not there to challenge. But I didn’t see him put the other player in a dangerous situation. I can accept it if they decide it is a red. What is difficult for me, and what I cannot accept, is that the Lascelles elbow is not checked, not even a foul, nothing. Because it’s Fulham, it’s nothing.”

Frustration also lay in the fact that Fulham posed problems for Newcastle before the red card, and continued to do so with 10 men. Their shape was defensively disciplined and compact, within a 4-4-1 set-up in which Alex Iwobi operated as a false nine. Rarely did Fulham’s defensive shape stretch beyond the width of their penalty area in the first half, and it was effective. At the other end, Fulham managed to move the ball smartly into advanced areas. Iwobi had the best chance, seizing on a loose Joelinton pass to go through one-on-one with Martin Dubravka. Unfortunately, he couldn’t convert it.

Newcastle were much more dominant in the second period and deservedly ran out winners. They took the game beyond Fulham. Once they opened the scoring, the visitors lost their impetus. The second goal was the hammer blow and a point of contention in the dugout as a foul was not awarded against Lascelles after Rodrigo Muniz spun him by the halfway line. The turnover led directly to the goal.

The outcome of this fixture is what matters however and the primary consequence, aside from not collecting any points from a fixture where few anticipated a return, was a tiring afternoon’s work in the middle of the Christmas pile-up. After Newcastle, Fulham have four matches in 15 days.

Premier League table

More pressingly, though, it leaves Fulham without Jimenez for three of those games. He will miss the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Everton, as well as the Premier League games against Burnley and Bournemouth.

This is a big blow personally for Jimenez, who has only just returned to form. He scored four goals in the five matches before Saturday and was starting to suggest that he could rekindle his best from his time at Wolves. His confidence is clearly back; before his red card, he attempted a bicycle kick from 25 yards out.

Muniz should now have a chance to impress (ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

But the red card does also reduce the sample size by which Fulham can assess Jimenez’s upturn in form before January. Before Jimenez got his goals, the pursuit of a centre-forward in next month’s transfer window seemed imperative. Jimenez’s promising performances eased that concern, but his absence means he has only scored in three of Fulham’s 15 matches. Fulham need to recruit a long-term centre-forward option anyway; Jimenez turns 33 before the end of the season. But being able to operate in the summer window instead of January is far more favourable.

“A red card now will not influence January,” said Silva. “If you have to try something in January, it’s because we need to and we can.“

Losing Jimenez for the Everton match in particular is a blow. The Carabao Cup presents an opportunity for Fulham to go further than they have ever before in the competition, and reach a semi-final. The draw is relatively open, with Liverpool and Newcastle the only sides still standing from last year’s top six, and the latter face Chelsea.

The key for Fulham will be to cast this Newcastle result aside and rekindle the momentum of their recent home wins. Losing Jimenez could have unintended positive consequences too of course — absence presents opportunity and maybe there is some karma in play for Rodrigo Muniz, whose previous shot at a first-team spot was cut short by a knee injury in October. He had shown promising glimpses, particularly against Manchester United. Deprived of a run in the team then, he now has a chance to make a name for himself.

That would be a blessing in disguise for Fulham. A second in-form striker, in addition to Jimenez, would be most welcome. Particularly with January looming.

(Top image: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

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