Bit surprised there's no press conference today from the Gaffer. Guess all the 'phone-in and hanging baubles stuff has kept our "communications" department busy. Still, don't reckon he'll have too much to say about the team selection, with no suspensions or injuries on the cards, so I'll plough on regardless. Wolves are going to be a different proposition from Reading and must have a bit of confidence going after last week's win up at Shepherds Bush. One thing we can be sure of is that Lambert will have them well organised and I suspect, because he knows we like to play from the back, he'll have them doing what we did to Reading - pressing high. Pity Richard Stearman isn't available for the though. For us .. as you know I had my doubts about Tim Ream but after a nervy first 5 minutes he was great. So keep it simple and same again. .........................Button............. ..Fredericks...Kalas...Ream...Malone.. .........................McDonald.... ......................Johansen..... .....Aluko.........Cairney........Ayite..... ..........................Martin....
I know I have said this about previous games and there will be others as well but I feel this is a big big game for us.... We are currently three points off the play offs, a win with the top six playing each other would likely mean only being one or two points off with bottom of the table next up at home.... A defeat and we could be five points off. I would take four points from the next two games but a win at Wolves would be massive I don't even care if it's an ugly one!! No change in the line up for me and then maybe a few changes for the Rothrham game.
I too worry about including Ream, because of his past history I'm always nervous, I'd prefer Madl, but Jokanovic has his favourites. I guess the plan would be to play our strongest team as C58 has above, and see if we need to change it Tuesday. I guess the sub bench will be interesting, as some players seem to be out in the cold.
The man in charge today is Darren Bond Bond is from a footballing family, the Lancashire lineage, and has ref'd since the age of 15. With something like 20 year's behind him, he was given a year as assistant lino in the Premiership but presumably as a consolation prize then offered membership to the Select Group 2 list of full time guys in the summer. Probably best described as Mr Average, he did irk the ex-QPR boss this season who claimed he's turned their match against Barnsley into "The Wild West". So far this season Bond has brandished 41 yellows and 4 reds in his 16 games. Last season his 36 games saw 106 yellows and 3 reds. We saw him last when we drew 1-1 away to Nottingham Forest; he booked 2 of theirs. Previously it was the 1-1 draw away to Cardiff at the beginning of last season; Dembele was the only one booked. Wouldn't wish to put a hex on today's game, but there's a discernable pattern to the results when Bond ref's us away from home.
I can build a complicated Excel spreadsheet with macros and nested formulas, but can I post a Twitter video to an internet forum? Of course not.
Was it 2 points dropped or 1 point won? I'd go for the former since their first 3 goals were soft - the fateful word, "corners" - and despite scoring 4 our finishing was poor - 26 shots in goal. Quite hard to take really when you have 70% possession in the first half and 63% over the 95 minutes away from home. Should be some game on Tuesday night as Rotherham will be sky high in confidence after beating QPHa's 1-0.
Rotherham have only won two games all season... beating Brentford and QPR. Is that a good sign or a bad sign for us?
I'd have taken a draw beforehand at Wolves but on the back of the 5 nil win last week and being 3-1 up after time it is disappointing - but I suppose both sets of fans must feel disappointed after that. We really do need to get on a run. At one point during the afternoon's scores we were in 5th place. A win on Tuesday is a must.
What the he'll was that all about. 3-1 up at half time. Shut up shop, good night God bless! Not Fulham though! Why do it easy when you can can really put your fans through the mill!
Player assessment from someone at the game: Button 4. Did not come off his line, weak, poor kicking could have done better on 1st and 3rd goals. Too many errors. Fredricks 8. Brilliant defending to prevent early goal, assist for 2 goals. Kalas 6. Struggled next to a poor Ream, not a good pairing, needs to play with stronger partner in game like that. Ream 3. Just not strong and quick enough to be a championship central defender in quick games against powerful players. Very much at fault for 1st goal which saw typical Ream defending from a corner after we had dominated. Malone 6. Up and down the line, some defending not good enough but gives so much going forward. McDonald 10. MOM, without him protecting the defence we would have lost. Dominant, won the ball, used to ball well and drove the team forward, massive player on the pitch for Fulham as we lack size, strengh and power in a game like yesterday. Johansen 9. Worked so hard as always with quality and added attacking direction. Great 1st goal and always looked to make things happen. Played as a striker for the last few minutes and did not look out of place. Cairney 8. What he does well was better than anyone, superb strike for 3rd goal, great control in posession and used the ball well. Totally useless defensively which is why McDonald was so important. Aluko 6. Not his best game, gave the ball away a lot, as usual had chances but you just know he will hot a weak shot when in a good position. Still a threat and his pace worth his place alone. Ayite 8. Best game for Fulham even without his goals. Good all round performance worked hard and without being spectacular linked up very well with teammates, 2 goals gave us the point. Martin 6. Isolated esp 2nd half. Good at linking things together but lacked the pace 2nd half to trouble Wolves when we were catching them on the break. Needed to be replaced mid 2nd half but we have no replacement on the bench. Subs: Parker 5. Game way to fast for Scott, poor substitution however I understood why he made it. Kebano, not on long enough to comment.
Like everybody else I'm pretty confused with this one, would have taken a point before the game but the circumstances around have left my feeling like a defeat, I'm sure in a few days it will feel a lot better. The Important thing is to win on Tuesday 3 points there and this away point will feel decent fail to win and throwing these points away will feel like a kick in the teeth. Reams a funny one, I like him as a player he's decent but struggles under physical pressure which is why I thought a strange decision to play him. It's just horses for courses Reading play one front and generally like to try and play passing football so Ream has a good game, but Wolves play a bit more direct and physical with a forward in Dicko who's as strong as an Ox so Sigurdsson or Madel would have been better on paper!
