In the same way that France provided new kit layouts for six successive games at the World Cup, so it is that Fulham are the gift that keeps on giving in the current Premier League campaign.
Already, we’ve covered the fact that they’ve worn four different shirts and while they haven’t added to that tally yet, they are switching things round in terms of kit combinations. Monday night’s clash at Huddersfield Town, their 11th game, saw a seventh permutation.
There’s the normal home kit, used in their five games to date at Craven Cottage (their shirts against Bournemouth last week featured poppies, but we won’t count that as a variation):
Then, each of their six away games have featured a look that is, as of now, unique to them this season.
At Wembley against Tottenham, they went back two years to their 2016-17 away (this may be called into use again against Newcastle United on December 22).
The reason for the red was assumed to be that Spurs had too much navy on their kit for the new Fulham away to be worn, but then at Brighton & Hove Albion they were the 2017-18 black away.
To our minds, if a black shirt can be worn, there’s no reason why navy can’t – especially as Brighton have white backs.
The away did finally get an airing at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City, though because of a sock-clash the home set was used.
When Fulham were drawn away to City in the Carabao Cup, they wore their home kit with no problems.
The trip to Everton saw the first use of the home shirts away from home in the league, but as the Toffees have white socks, Fulham wore the black set from the previous season’s away.
Then, at Cardiff, white change shorts were used, albeit ones with mismatching white stripes rather than black. These were not the shorts from the 2017-18 away, which did have black stripes.
And, lastly, the game at Huddersfield, with the navy presumably again considered a clash, heavy-handedly in our view.
Fulham go to Anfield on Sunday to face Liverpool, with the default home likely to be used for the first time in an away game.
One would imagine that all-navy will be seen at some stage, maybe against Arsenal on New Year’s Day, bringing them to eight combinations.
Another possibility is black-white-black or navy-white-navy at Southampton. We shall follow with interest.
