Finally, on the right track.
That appears to be the feeling around those at Craven Cottage at the moment as the Whites managed to secure their first victory of the season on Monday against West Bromwich Albion. And one man who you can make the argument is going to be key moving forward will be captain and primary playmaker Tom Cairney.
Someone who certainly struggled when we were last time in the Premier League, and perhaps encouraged by finally finding the back of the net late on against Crystal Palace, the 29-year-old is finally starting to find his feet once again, with his form gradually improving in the past couple of games.
And taking to Twitter to help promote his article about him, The Athletic’s Peter Rutzler gave this summation of just what he thinks that Cairney is capable of, as well as touching on his role within the team:
I don’t think Cairney is suited to a more rounded central midfield role. Breaking up play etc are not his strong points but his link-up play is very very good. With a solid base behind him in Anguissa + Lemina, he had freedom and impressed. No 10, for me, suits him best.
— Peter Rutzler (@peterrutzler) November 5, 2020
Is Tom Cairney our most important player?
Yes
No
I don’t think it’s necessarily going to be a case of ‘if Tom plays well, the team plays well’, but it is no coincidence that our success in recent years has coincided with times when he has been one of our better players, even winning Player Of The Year when we reached the playoffs in 2016-17.
So hopefully this resurgence from the captain carries on, and as a result makes its way through to the rest of the side.
What about you? What do you make of Cairney’s role within the team? Do you think he is starting to improve?