What Can Scott Parker Offer Fulham?
After Tottenham‘s shopping spree landed them Paulinho and Etienne Capoue this summer, they decided it was time to ship Scott Parker on to a new club. Fulham duly picked him up the England midfielder. But what can the 32-year-old offer his new employers, and does he have a realistic chance of making it to the World Cup in Brazil?
Parker is not renowned for his creative ability, but he is certainly capable of putting in a tackle and breaking up the opposition attacks. The midfielder has consistently played at the highest level in England for the past eight years, including spells at Newcastle and West Ham before eventually joining Spurs in 2011.
He is more of a destroyer than a creator, but he is able to pick a pass and even pops up with the odd goal now and then. His form during the past few seasons saw him selected for Euro 2012, where he started all three group matches, and he has been praised for his commitment and hard work, whilst shunning the limelight often sought by team mates.
Martin Jol is likely to consider him as a mainstay in a midfield four at Fulham, although he will have to prove he is worthy of a starting place. After their shock 1-0 away victory against Sunderland on the opening day, despite underperforming throughout, it could be that Jol would like a balance to Adel Taarabt if he prefers the use of the Moroccan attacking midfielder on a regular basis. His lack of tactical discipline often caused QPR problems last season and it may be that with an extremely disciplined Parker playing in the holding role then Fulham may get the best out of the undoubtedly talented Taarabt.
Experience is crucial for what will be a tough season for Fulham, and they will definitely benefit from a player that is consistent and rarely injured. Although he will never win any glamorous awards for his play, there are certainly many fellow professionals that would rather play alongside him than against him!
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