Fulham: And then there were two

To the Bairdinho, his versatility was invaluable for many years at Fulham, and despite not always finding himself on the first choice teamsheet, he never ceased to work and would always somehow find himself useful to Roy Hodgson and the like. When a player gives his all to a club like Chris did, it never ever goes unnoticed by the fans.

Baird’s goals were few and far between, but they did happen; and when they did, often they were massive. This was because Baird had a knack of finding the back of the net out of nowhere, in turn knocking the opponent to the ground with a left hook they never saw coming.

The Northern Irishman found himself at one of center back, right-back, and central midfield, which only provided the manager with another reason to make use of his skills. When injuries hit the Fulham squad, there was Bairdinho ready to take up whatever position was found decimated.

Chris Baird and Simon Davies put together 330 appearances for Fulham, and will be remembered for their shocking and exciting goals as well as their defensive work rate.

To Simon Davies, I also would like to dedicate some time. He became an instant hit with Fulham fans since signing on a free from Everton due to his never-ending work rate, much like his counterpart mentioned before.

What the Welshman did in the final two Europa League matches against Hamburg and Atletico Madrid will never be forgotten. The elation he gave fans was enough to earn him respect for a lifetime. A career is hardly defined by a single moment or two, but when fans reflect on Davies’ tenure at Fulham, those two moments will forever headline the story, and rightly so.

These three players racked up a whopping 550 appearances for Fulham between the three of them across all competitions. Doing the math, that’s the equivalent of 14-1/2 Premier League seasons.

And now to those that remain. Damien Duff and Brede Hangeland are the only old two regulars who are still with the club, with Aaron Hughes now stuck behind Philippe Senderos and the recently acquired Fernando Amorebieta. I can’t imagine those two – or three – sticking around much longer. Hughes has stated he wants first-team action (as he deserves), Duff may be finding minutes fewer and fewer with the rise of Alex Kacaniklic and Ashkan Dejagah, along with the very likely acquisition of Bakary Sako. Hangeland is reaching an age where mistakes are more common, as evident by spotty patches last season.

It’s a time of change in the Fulham squad, and a sad one largely because it’s hard to identify any players who will take their place. Leadership not only has to do with age, but tenure as well.

From the roster of the 2008/09 season – Schwarzer’s first with the club – only a single player remains aside from the Hangeland/Hughes combination: David Stockdale.

Times are changing, and thus fans must change along with it. But something that will never change is a need for not just leadership but stability, and Fulham will need to find that somewhere. They will need someone to step up and take over the holes left by these departing players and those soon to depart.

That is, however, for another time. For now, it is a time to say not just goodbye, but thank you. Thank you Mark Schwarzer, Chris Baird, and Simon Davies for those moments, memories, and most importantly time and effort you have given this club. They will not soon be forgotten.