Boa Morte ray of light in downpour
Whether it was the ring rust after the summer break or two terminally average teams on display was hard to determine, but this match got the scoreline it deserved. The Observer
Forssell so close to breaking deadlock
Fulham will probably play worse than they did at Craven Cottage yesterday and win. They will certainly need to if they are to make the best of what they have got. Birmingham will have to play an awful lot better or they will have more problems than they have anticipated. In both cases optimism was not evident. You can never deny the fans of clubs like these the fleeting pleasure of beginning a season with hope that at the end of it they will be up there with the multi-millionaires who dominate the Premiership. When reality kicks in they may well be thankful that they finish in the safety net called mid-table. The Independent
Fulham need to develop a cutting edge
The quality of much of Fulham's football indicated that fears for their Premiership survival may be greatly exaggerated. For at least half the game, they played Birmingham, a team built to push on into the top half of the table, off their rainswept park. But these are the matches you have to win and more of a cutting edge will be required in front of goal if Chris Coleman's team are to be comfortable. The Telegraph
Blues all round at the Cottage
A goalless draw largely devoid of excitement or significant incident, yet both managers pronounced themselves satisfied. The Times