Before leaving for Anfield, Roy Hodgson did squeeze in one purchase for Fulham by securing the services of Swiss International Philippe Senderos on a free transfer from Arsenal. After becoming a bit of a forgotten man at the Emirates over the last couple of years, the towering centre-back will be hoping for a fresh start at the Cottage and will be seeking to prove his doubters wrong.
At times his Premier League showings have been calamitous, but ex-Arsenal man has plenty of talent to offer his new employers. He reads the game well and is regarded as one of the more intelligent defenders around – after all Wenger doesn’t often sign players without something between their ears.
If he’s handed a solid run of games, Senderos could prove to be great value pick as he rarely gets booked, offers a reasonable goal threat at set pieces, and would profit from Fulham’s canny knack of keeping clean sheets in home games. Hodgson certainly rated him highly….
”He is a strong defender who has great aerial presence at both ends of the field and has a superb work ethic, which is a vital component for any team’s success. I am very much looking forward to working with Philippe next season.”
Right. Might be a bit tricky now, Roy.
The Statistics
Opinion…
Mark
“Senderos’ season will depend on two factors – the new gaffer at the Cottage and the future of Brede Hangeland.
Currently Hangeland is denying all the talk of a link up with Hodgson at Anfield but if the Norwegian does leave then Senderos will surely be installed in his place.
Given 30 starts then Senderos could present some value if the new boss emphasises the importance of clean sheets but this is a transition year for Fulham and I personally see them slipping to a lower mid-table spot. The Big Swiss defender looks a major gamble at this stage then.”
After starting his career at Servette, Senderos was picked up by Arsenal as an 18-year-old, when he was already being touted as one of the hottest prospects in European football. It was another year before he made his Arsenal debut but following an injury to Sol Campbell during the 2005-06 campaign, Senderos became a regular in the first team. He formed a formidable partnership with Kolo Toure and was ever-present in Arsenal’s 2006 run to the Champions League final, in which the Gunners back four kept an incredible 10 consecutive clean sheets.
Despite having an excellent season, he fell out of favour with Arsene Wenger and failed to come back into favour. Injury and several high profile gaffes led to him losing his place to William Gallas, and he was eventually shipped off to AC Milan on loan in 2008. His career has been stuttering along ever since, and a loan spell at Everton last year saw him earn just one start all season.
Despite scoring just 4 goals in his 105 starts for Arsenal, his record at International level is far more impressive, bagging 5 goals in just 35 appearances. His defensive performances for his country have also been much more reliable, and in the 2006 world cup, he was a key part of the Swiss defence that didn’t let in a single goal in the whole tournament.
The Prospects
Senderos is very much a confidence player. He is undoubtedly a talented footballer and whenever he is given a run in the team, he shines. He struggles when he flits in and out of the side though and at Arsenal, his initial confidence was continually knocked out of him, either by being over-looked for first team action, or by being repeatedly embarrassed by Didier Drogba. His performance in the 2007/08 Champions league quarter final against Liverpool can’t have helped much either.
The truth of the matter is that Senderos just didn’t fit in with Arsenal’s style of play, and their high defensive line meant that quality strikers like Torres and Drogba were able to take advantage of his lack of pace. In a more defensively minded Fulham side however, he could prove to be a much more reliable player. Much will depend on who replaces Hodgson of course.
At this moment in time, it’s unlikely that Senderos will be anything more than a replacement for the departed Chris Smalling and will be most likely be used as backup to the regular pairing of Hughes and Hangeland. With several clubs sniffing around Hangeland though, Senderos could find himself slotting straight into the first team, and would therefore represent excellent value at just 4.5m in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game. Perhaps not the first name on your team sheet then, but certainly one to monitor when decent fixtures fall Fulham’s way.