I didnât find the following article in the Telegraph humorous, as intended. However, reluctantly have to concede, as someone said (probably Shakespeare), âmany a true word is spoken in jestâ -
âIn the week that Fulham finally waved goodbye to their Michael Jackson statue, here was a defeat for which neither sunshine, nor moonlight, nor indeed the boogie, could be held responsible.
Their fans knew who to blame for this fiasco. âJol out!â they shouted. As Cardiff City's stoppage-time winner went in, the Fulham manager held his head in his hands, looking on the verge of tears. He loves this job, but this agonising defeat moves him closer to losing it.
âI think it is awful when people ask a manager to quit,â Martin Jol said. âI donât want to see this club at the bottom of the table. I think we will be OK, but this is a blow. Even a draw would have been awful. We have to win these games. If we are bottom of the table at the end of the season itâs not about me, because I wonât be here, itâs about the club and I donât want to see this club at the bottom of the table.â
âThey (the fans) expect us to do better. If you are in the bottom three or bottom five, even if itâs early in the season, you get pressure. I take responsibility, because I canât say that the players donât work hard. Fulham is not a club who should be in the top six. We were 20th in the league in spending money.â
Asked if he is now nervous about his own position, Jol said: âI know that we can do a lot better. Iâve got players who have played 300 games. We had all the size in the world today and we still lost headers at the far post, even when we are 6ft 6 ins or 7 ins. And that is worrying.â
[see comment below]
âNot to overdo the Jackson puns, but Fulham were really, really bad. Jolâs decision to play Darren Bent and Dimitar Berbatov in tandem left them badly short of defensive cover. At the back, you have to wonder how many more yards of pace Brede Hangeland has left to lose. As Cardiffâs front three teased him this way and that, Hangeland never accelerated beyond a tentative lope, like a man running with eggs in his pockets.
Cardiff could have won the game by half-time. Instead, they led by just one, a simple header by Steven Caulker from Peter Whittinghamâs corner. Captain Caulker was excellent again, as were Kévin Théophile-Catherine at right back and Gary Medel in midfield, benefiting from the early departure of Scott Parker with a dicky hamstring.
âWhat weâve got is real belief,â said Cardiff manager Malky Mackay. âWeâve got a real belief after six games, about our ability to play at this level and be at home at this level.â
Simply put, Cardiff were better organised, and wanted it more. Fulham were carrying more passengers than the Putney to Waterloo train.
Just before half-time, Jol gambled, making his second substitution and bringing on Bryan Ruiz. Almost instantly, Ruiz received Sascha Rietherâs pass unmarked 25 yards out and curled the ball left-footed past a startled David Marshall. Craven Cottage sat agape for a fraction of a second, before exploding in a mixture of disbelief and relief.
Cardiff maintained their intensity in the second half, continuing to enjoy the better chances. Yet as full-time approached, Fulham looked to be escaping with a deeply frustrating but faintly tolerable point. Jordon Mutch had other ideas. Though Marshallâs goal-kick fell kindly for Mutch, you would still have given him odds of 20-1 against from where he was, near the corner of the penalty area. But he let the ball drop, lashed it with his left foot, and it was still rising as it bulged the net. For Cardiff, frustration turned to joy. For Fulham, to anger.â
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...375/Fulham-1-Cardiff-City-2-match-report.html
Comment: You could write an opus analysing that reply. However I will contain myself with the observation that he is apparently blaming Hangeland for the first goal when in fact it was Sidwell who did not jump with Caulker. More importantly though is the generic malaise in marking at corners where the blame must, at least in a great part, fall to poor coaching.
âIn the week that Fulham finally waved goodbye to their Michael Jackson statue, here was a defeat for which neither sunshine, nor moonlight, nor indeed the boogie, could be held responsible.
Their fans knew who to blame for this fiasco. âJol out!â they shouted. As Cardiff City's stoppage-time winner went in, the Fulham manager held his head in his hands, looking on the verge of tears. He loves this job, but this agonising defeat moves him closer to losing it.
âI think it is awful when people ask a manager to quit,â Martin Jol said. âI donât want to see this club at the bottom of the table. I think we will be OK, but this is a blow. Even a draw would have been awful. We have to win these games. If we are bottom of the table at the end of the season itâs not about me, because I wonât be here, itâs about the club and I donât want to see this club at the bottom of the table.â
âThey (the fans) expect us to do better. If you are in the bottom three or bottom five, even if itâs early in the season, you get pressure. I take responsibility, because I canât say that the players donât work hard. Fulham is not a club who should be in the top six. We were 20th in the league in spending money.â
Asked if he is now nervous about his own position, Jol said: âI know that we can do a lot better. Iâve got players who have played 300 games. We had all the size in the world today and we still lost headers at the far post, even when we are 6ft 6 ins or 7 ins. And that is worrying.â
[see comment below]
âNot to overdo the Jackson puns, but Fulham were really, really bad. Jolâs decision to play Darren Bent and Dimitar Berbatov in tandem left them badly short of defensive cover. At the back, you have to wonder how many more yards of pace Brede Hangeland has left to lose. As Cardiffâs front three teased him this way and that, Hangeland never accelerated beyond a tentative lope, like a man running with eggs in his pockets.
Cardiff could have won the game by half-time. Instead, they led by just one, a simple header by Steven Caulker from Peter Whittinghamâs corner. Captain Caulker was excellent again, as were Kévin Théophile-Catherine at right back and Gary Medel in midfield, benefiting from the early departure of Scott Parker with a dicky hamstring.
âWhat weâve got is real belief,â said Cardiff manager Malky Mackay. âWeâve got a real belief after six games, about our ability to play at this level and be at home at this level.â
Simply put, Cardiff were better organised, and wanted it more. Fulham were carrying more passengers than the Putney to Waterloo train.
Just before half-time, Jol gambled, making his second substitution and bringing on Bryan Ruiz. Almost instantly, Ruiz received Sascha Rietherâs pass unmarked 25 yards out and curled the ball left-footed past a startled David Marshall. Craven Cottage sat agape for a fraction of a second, before exploding in a mixture of disbelief and relief.
Cardiff maintained their intensity in the second half, continuing to enjoy the better chances. Yet as full-time approached, Fulham looked to be escaping with a deeply frustrating but faintly tolerable point. Jordon Mutch had other ideas. Though Marshallâs goal-kick fell kindly for Mutch, you would still have given him odds of 20-1 against from where he was, near the corner of the penalty area. But he let the ball drop, lashed it with his left foot, and it was still rising as it bulged the net. For Cardiff, frustration turned to joy. For Fulham, to anger.â
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...375/Fulham-1-Cardiff-City-2-match-report.html
Comment: You could write an opus analysing that reply. However I will contain myself with the observation that he is apparently blaming Hangeland for the first goal when in fact it was Sidwell who did not jump with Caulker. More importantly though is the generic malaise in marking at corners where the blame must, at least in a great part, fall to poor coaching.
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