THE PREVIOUS TIME FULHAM SCORED six goals at home, the repercussions were significant. Norwich City, who were hoping for a reprieve on the last day of last season, were relegated. West Bromwich Albion have to hope that the parallels are meaningless.
Certainly there was no sign of a hopeless aura surrounding Bryan Robson’s team. Their supporters remained in a jolly mood throughout and few teams so comprehensively beaten have ever left the field looking so relaxed. “Our fans knew at the start of the season that we can survive in the Premiership and they’ll be happy with that again,” Robson said. “They understand we are going to be up and down with our performances. Our fans are very good like that.”
And Fulham, too, took the result in their stride. This was simply the logical extension of their impressive home form. This was their ninth league victory at Craven Cottage this season and, given that Chris Coleman’s team are the only Premiership side yet to win on their travels, it is home form that is blocking the path to relegation.
“This season we decided to be more offensive,” Coleman said. “I had a lot more sleepless nights last season. We’ve attacked home and away. We haven’t always had good fortune on our travels.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Coleman said that he would swap this feel-good win for three points away from home. He publicly pondered for a second or two whether he might change tactics for the forthcoming match away at Bolton Wanderers, but then seemed to conclude that Fulham would just have to keep on attacking come what may.
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Robson praised Fulham’s counter-attacking football, but that element of their game came to the fore only once they had outmuscled West Bromwich to take a two-goal lead at half-time. Brian McBride flicked on Antti Niemi’s clearance and Heidar Helguson beat Tomasz Kuszczak. Helguson’s far-post header in the 41st minute was equally straightforward and, after the interval, Fulham were able to show off a little.
Steed Malbranque was inventive and Tomasz Radzinski had his best game in a Fulham shirt, scoring his first league goal of the season and ripping through the visting team’s defence with his pace and renewed confidence.
Radzinski took off his shirt after scoring Fulham’s third goal and was happy to be booked for his celebration. “I didn’t mind getting booked,” Radzinski said. “It’s only my second of the season. I’m not a guy who gets a lot of bookings.”
Coleman said: “He’s always prepared to dig in for the team. He’s missed a few absolute sitters here. But we just left him alone, let him get on with his football.”
Radzinski said: “The manager has tried me on the left, the right, at the top of the diamond and sometimes up front — it keeps you on your toes.”
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The Canadian set up Helguson for a strike that was deflected in off Curtis Davies. Helguson was then substituted, believing, in error, he had scored a hat-trick. “I’m not going to tell him. I’ve given him the ball,” Coleman said. “He doesn’t know how to pull out of a challenge. He’s a tough kid and he’s so important to us at the moment.”
Helguson’s replacement, Collins John, scored twice just to remind Coleman that although Helguson and McBride seem to have forged a good old-fashioned centre-forward partnership, he cannot be overlooked. The effervescent Radzinski set up both of John’s goals.
Kevin Campbell scored Albion’s consolation, although, with the scoreline at 1-0, Nigel Quashie’s long-range effort forced a splendid save from Niemi. “Hopefully that’s just a one-off today,” Robson said. “We’ve been in a relegation battle all season. They’ll have learnt a lesson today. We went into the game slack. You feel like you’ve let them (the fans) down.”
West Bromwich could have overtaken Fulham on Saturday. Instead, they sit fourth from bottom and have a two-week break in which to plot another escape.