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Fulham's start to their return to the Championship has been largely positive, with the White's 2-2 draw with fellow high-flyers Charlton Athletic extending their unbeaten run to six league games, which has seen Scott Parker's side into seventh place in the table, at the time of writing. 

Much of the praise has been given to the likes of the Fulham front three, Mitrovic, Cavaleiro and Knockaert, whilst Tom Cairney has also been hitting the headlines for his goal-scoring exploits, however, here at Football League World we like to recognise the players that don't necessarily get the credit they deserve.

And as such we will be taking a look at how Alfie Mawson has bounced back from a terrible first season at the club which ultimately ended with the club being relegated, despite spending heavily on several high profile signings during the 2018/2019 summer transfer window.

Mawson was unlucky to be struck down by injury last campaign, with the former Barnsley centre back having been restricted to just 15 appearances last season, due to a knee injury which he sustained in December last year.

However the ex-Swansea City man has since recovered from his time on the sidelines and has put in some assured displays this campaign as part of Parker's back four impressing Whites fans aplenty, with the 25-year-old having played in all 11 of their Championship games so far.

When looking at Mawson's WhoScored.com defensive statistics, it is clear that he has played a major role in the Fulham backline this season, with the experienced defender having registered an average of 0.5 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per game, which suggests that he operates best as a 'sweeper' rather than a 'stopper'.

In addition to his defensive contribution, Mawson also contributes heavily to Parker's preferred possession-based style of play, with the 25-year-old averaging 91.9 passes per game, yielding a pass success rate of 86.7%, which unsurprisingly puts him amongst the best passers in the Cottagers squad so far this season.

From these statistics, it is fair to say that Parker has had a really positive effect on Mawson's career since taking over as permanent manager, with the defender really establishing himself in the side now.

Lastly, the centre back arrived at Craven Cottage with the weight of a hefty price tag on his shoulders last season, however he is so far proving to be a sound addition by the Whites since regaining full fitness and will certainly be crucial for his side this season as they seek to make an instant return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

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