I think it’s fair to say that 2019 wasn’t as memorable for Fulham supporters as 2018 was. So, this list has proven tougher than you’d expect but not for the right reasons.
In fairness, the top three pick themselves but after that, it really was slim pickings. Nevertheless, I got there eventually. So, here are my top five Fulham players of 2019…
5 – TOM CAIRNEY
Captain Tom Cairney starts my list off at number 5 following some brilliant Championship performances. With TC struggling to make an impact in the Premier League, his drop down to the Championship has helped remind up how good he really is. His tidy footwork and wand of a left foot have been displayed many times this season with Tom having 6 goals already going into the New Year. With form dropping slightly in recent times hopefully, he can reignite his form and help earn us an automatic promotion spot next year.
4 – MAREK RODAK
Despite spending half of 2019 at Rotherham and not starting this campaign as number 1, Marek Rodák finishes 4th on my list. After dethroning fellow academy graduate Marcus Bettinelli, the Slovak has added some consistency to a position that had been named by many fans as an area of concern. With just 13 appearances to his name, he has made some brilliant stops and has kept us in many games that without him we would have lost. Unfortunately, 2019 hasn’t been the year for Fulham stand out players with only a few to name but Rodák has been a shining light especially considering he is an academy graduate.
3 – CALLUM CHAMBERS
Callum Chambers is number 3 on my list with the Arsenal loanee being one of the standout players in the second half of our Premier League campaign. With Callum signing as a defender his move to midfield came as a shock with the even bigger shock being how well he played there. His tough tackling and industrious style of play eased the strain on our defence and earned him our Player of the Season. I’m sure all Fulham fans will join me in wishing Callum well for the future and thanking him for his efforts.
2 – RYAN BABEL
When it was announced on the 15th of January that Fulham had signed a 32-year-old Dutch winger I never thought that I’d be considering him as one of the players of the year but in 2ndplace is Ryan Babel. With relegation looming, Babel came in and gave us some excitement and pure talent which had been missing all season. Despite not keeping us up he scored and created a lot of goals when they were lacking with some highlights being his performance against Brighton and his goal against Cardiff. The only real shame is that he decided not to stay on for this season, but I guess playing in the Champions League has slightly more appeal than playing in the Championship.
1 – ALEKSANDAR MITROVIĆ
With so many incredible performances this year it has been difficult to decide a winner but after much thought and deliberation, my Fulham Player of 2019 is Aleksandar Mitrović. The Super Serb is on his way to being one of our greatest with his continued loyalty and prolific goalscoring form this season. Even in games he didn’t score in he still provided some excellent hold-up play and put his body on the line to earn us any points he could. Hopefully this isn’t the last year we will get to enjoy Mitro but if it is what an honour it has been to watch him play in that Fulham shirt.
