Sidwell could be key for Fulham in the second half of the season

“Sidwell, due to injury other reasons, hasn’t played an awful lot in the last few months but he always makes an impact when he plays”

Another week and another away defeat. Whilst not to downplay the positives I outlined in the last column our away form remains depressing.

Losing to a team that had lost six of the last seven at home and who had 10 men for over an hour, is a depressing sight that a lot of Fulham fans who follow the team away have got used to seeing.

It got me thinking about what we need to do to start winning away again.

One possibility, I believe, is the Ginger Iniesta: Steve Sidwell.

Whilst a midfield of Clint Dempsey, Damien Duff, Bryan Ruiz, Mousa Dembele and Frei (when he came on) is certainly exciting on the ball it a) leaves us with just Danny Murphy sitting deep and b) doesn’t equip us very well to win the ball back easily when we lose it.

Not only that but we end up with Dempsey and Dembele sitting deeper which hurts our ability to score goals, something we regularly struggle to do away from home.

I love Danny Murphy as much as the next Fulham fan and I am incredibly grateful for everything he’s done for the club, but even he would agree that (at on the verge of turning 35) he is now well into the twilight of his career.

Leaving him as the lone holding midfielder as surely asking for trouble against certain teams, especially away from home.

Sidwell, due to injury other reasons, hasn’t played an awful lot in the last few months but he always makes an impact when he plays.

He gives 100% per cent every game, works hard off the ball, gives us more than Etuhu does on it (this isn’t an anti-Etuhu post honest!), and pops up with the odd goal. Sidwell was an absolute snip when we signed him and at 29 he is at his peak.

We’ve got him until the summer of 2014 and as we gratefully wave goodbye to Danny Murphy as he walks off into the sunset/management/punditry, I hope Sidwell is given the opportunity to step up and be the man.