Team Focus: Sidwell & Parker Key to Fulham's Top Flight Safety

When Fulham fell to a 6-0 defeat at Hull last month, the absence of Scott Parker alongside Steve Sidwell was clear for all to see. Their midfield lacked the bite and experience he brings and it was little shock to see Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and Robert Koren control the game with ease.

His return to the starting XI on New Year’s Day saw the Cottagers secure an important 2-1 win over relegation rivals West Ham as the west London side moved out of the bottom 3. The 33-year-old helped himself to an assist in the victory, while he has bettered his WhoScored rating of from that game 7.6 only twice in the Premier League this season, those coming in the 2-1 win over Norwich (8.3) and the 2-1 defeat to Swansea (8.4), games in which he netted.

Many questioned the decision to hand Parker a 3-year contract when he signed from Tottenham last summer due to his age, but alongside Sidwell in the middle of the park, the veteran is showing why the club spent a reported £4m to secure his services. The pairing are currently Fulham’s highest rated players this season - Sidwell with a 7.09 and Parker a 6.96 - and while those figures don’t rank as highly as the top performers in their position in the league this term, it highlights how crucial a partnership the duo have formed since the latter signed.

Sidwell in particular has benefitted from the all action displays of Parker, leading Fulham's goalscoring charts in the league this season with 4 goals, in the process matching his return from the whole of last term. At present, the duo are averaging the most tackles per game (2.9) of every regular at the club, but what is notable is that this figure for Sidwell has dropped from 3.8 last season.

Evidently, the former Chelsea and Reading ace has seen his role altered following the signing of Parker, allowing him to push higher up the pitch and attack the opposition rather than look to stifle their offensive threat. This is perhaps reinforced in that Sidwell is averaging 0.6 successful dribbles per game, not a high figure, but his most per encounter in the Premier League in the last 5 seasons.

The midfielder has also won possession in the attacking third 4 times this term, a figure bettered only by striker Dimitar Berbatov (5) of every Fulham player this campaign, and suggests that he's operating in a more advanced role at Craven Cottage. With WhoScored strengths of ‘ball interceptions’ and ‘blocking the ball’, the former accentuated in his 2.1 interceptions made per game, pressing high up the pitch and winning the ball back benefits his more attack-minded teammates.

With a statistically calculated WhoScored style of play of Fulham's being ‘play with width’, boasting a player to win the ball further forward would allow for the team to instigate swift attacks on the flanks in the hope of catching out the opposition. Yet, should these offensive moves break down, there is less onus on Sidwell to hastily retreat from the attacking third to resume his position in front of the defence due to Parker sitting deeper.

It’s little surprise that Parker has won possession the most times in the midfield (54) and defensive third (60) of every Fulham player this term, highlighting how his role is deeper than Sidwell's. Yet, without the ability to recycle possession successfully, winning the ball back wouldn’t be an effective trait to possess, but Parker excels in this capacity and is currently averaging 52.9 passes per game, the most of every Fulham player, at a success rate of 87.1%, in part due to his preference for playing simple but necessary passes.

With a deserved WhoScored strength of ‘tackling’, Parker is striving to ensure the goalscoring opportunities of opponents are limited, while the frequency and success of his passes are key in keeping the team fluid. More pertinently, this benefits Sidwell, who is able to break forward and add another body in attack.

Moreover, rather than work his way back and see his energy levels sapped, thus limiting his impact higher up the pitch, Sidwell can join the attack safe in the knowledge that Parker is able to provide cover for his compatriot in front of the defence. While a midfield of Sidwell and Parker isn’t the most glamorous in football when compared to the likes of Yaya Touré and Fernandinho or Luka Modric and Xabi Alonso, the duo compliment one another and will be key to René Meulensteen’s side avoiding relegation.

How important will Steve Sidwell and Scott Parker be for Fulham between now and the end of the season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below