Nice blog post on The Grauniad website about us this morning: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/mar/05/five-things-premier-league-weekend?newsfeed=true
Very refreshing to hear such nice words about us, but I'm gonna be that guy who says we can't get ahead of ourselves. 3 wins in a row is fantastic, but this is probably the only one we've played really well throughout the whole game. Dembele in centre mid is a revelation, and now with the Pog and Dempsey we have a genuine goal threat. We need to make sure this is translated into improved away displays and a consistent run to the end of the season. If this happens and if we can keep Dembele and Dempsey in the summer, then we will have reason to be excited!
Four hat-tricks from three different players in the same season. Never mind Fulham's history, can anyone remember the last time any club could lay claim to that?
Not just that, Captain, but we've thrashed QPR, Charlton, Newcastle and Wolves all in one year. I think this team might be better than the one Hodgson welded together.
Ah. . . I'm a sucker for a trivia challenge like that CM. Luckily, there's a Wikipedia entry to help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Premier_League_hat-tricks#Hat-tricks Seems to have happened a few times, not sure what the last one was. I spotted Arsenal 2000/2001, Parlour, Henry, Wiltord. Man Utd had four in 1999/2000: Cole, Solskjaer, Yorke, and Scholes. Arsenal had three in four days in May 2003: Pennant, Pires, and Ljungberg. I got bored looking at that point, so not sure when was the last time!
there's no doubt this is the best squad of player's we have ever had. It was always a question of getting it to work. If Hodgson had this team I believe we would be above Liverpool
But Roy would not have put this team together. It is improving all the time as well, I'm looking forward to our next acquisition!
Actually, it's still really Roy's team to a great extent. Eight of the players who started on Saturday were signed by Hodgson, Sanchez or Coleman. Only Riise, Pog, and Dembele have arrived since (Ruiz didn't play). I'm not sure Roy would have signed Dembele, and he certainly wouldn't have bought Ruiz. Otherwise, it's really the style that's changed more than the personnel. Still, let's not get carried away: Jol may be in the process of assembling the best squad of players we've ever had, but the proof will be in what he achieves with them. Villa away on Saturday will be a good test of where we are now.
Thanks for the research, Fulhamish. Were all of the above teams eventual champions? They were certainly contenders if not the outright winners. That's the interesting thing - it's so rare for a mid-table team like us to produce so many hat-trick men. Most teams in our position might have a star striker who gets a hat-trick or two, but for the likes of us to have so many and to have them spread across the team is highly impressive. The future's bright, the future is Jolish.
I'm not sure if those teams ended up as champions, but they were all sides associated with playing attacking football. Here's another extraordinary stat: only the two Manchester clubs, Spurs, and Chelsea have scored more goals at home than Fulham this season, yet no one has scored fewer away goals than we have! If Jol can be the man who finally sorts out our away form then we're not far off becoming a top six side.
As I think Jimmy Greaves said "Football is a funny old game" A few weeks ago there were anxious posts that we might go down, things not going right, is Jol the right man etc etc. Now we are 8th and after a 5 nil win it's the best team we have ever had. I'm not having a go, I'm just as guilty at times, but it makes me smile.
I don't honestly believe that Hodgson would get the team to play the same way. It would be more defensive. Jol is more offensive minded. To that end I don't think we would be higher up the league table. I did like MJ's comment at the end of the Wolves reaction when he said ' I don't want to talk about relegation anymore!' He's just great, i love his sound bites. I dare the reporter to mention relegation again!
I enjoyed Fulham football under Hodgson. QPR play very much like Fulham played three years ago, although with less talent. QPR are hard to beat, just ask Chelsea. But I prefer the style we're playing with now.
With Hodgson our formation stayed the same. If a player got injured another fitted in to his position. It gave us consistency and stability which was good but with Jol we have the ability to change it up a bit. We can play the 4-2-3-1 with the 3 amigos playing or we can play a very attack minded 4-4-2 with AJ coming in and 1 of the 3 dropping out and Moussa in centre mid as we witnessed in the last few games. Both formations are attacking and a lot better to watch than Hodgsons football (but only when we're on form. It can be very frustrating at other times)
I enjoyed Fulham football under Hodgson - yes, me too. "QPR play very much like Fulham played three years ago" - I don't see this, sorry. QPR now (under Hughes) are trying to attack, without the necessary resources. "just ask Chelsea. " - NO, ask all the other teams that have thrashed the Raggeds
tosh ... you're right. I was thinking West Brom. But you're correct about Chelsea ... they're in freefall of late.
If you haven't yet you really must read Jol's article in the 'Fultime' magazine just out. He says Hodgson had the right idea because the "culture" was clear but he (Roy) was more defensive minded. Jol says he wants to play "attractive football in and organised way" and spells out a vision that is not only plausible but exciting. Jol being Jol he does of course have a wee dig about some events in the past and a recently departed number '9' in particular - not that he names names of course. It's a stonking article, reeking of guess what, "ambition". 10 out of 10 - you sir,
