Mine was tongue in cheek Captain. I don't like supporters verbally abusing players and/or the manager. Not that you would of course but it does leave a baf taste. I still think we'll win though and I want big Mart to stay.
Lawro is predicting only 0-2 ... for once he's being kind to us. I don't care if we lose 0-6, I want to see the boys show some mettle, putting in a good, hard and competitive performance from minutes 0 - 90. If the boys can just start playing for each other as a team, I think the points will eventually sort themselves out.
Yeah, I wasn't having a pop at you (or anyone else), Craving. I know what you mean about the bad taste in the mouth. I've always taken the view that fans pay their money and are entitled to criticise, but there's a difference between criticism and offensive abuse. At Southampton there was a bloke two or three rows behind us who spent several second-half minutes on a constant torrent of expletives aimed personally at Jol. It actually reduced both of my boys to tears and had one of them asking if we could just go home. This, half an hour before full time from a boy who has often commented that he doesn't understand why anyone would leave a match early, no matter what the score was. I would have taken them home early if they'd both wanted to go, but the other one wanted to stay. I know the team was awful last weekend, but it was the fans - mostly ours - that made it a horrible experience for my boys.
Captain, I think I sat near this idiot (or a similar idiot) in the front rows of Hammy end vs Cardiff last month. Was he dressed in a hideous track suit, about 40 and looked like he was rejected from the Jeremy Kyle show for being too rough? I would have had a pop at this inbred chav if there weren't about 20 kids in the surrounding rows. The most laughable thing was a chief steward warned him once, then ignored his endless tirade of abusive rants...but felt justified to tell me to stop smoking my 'electronic cigarette'! I've not sat in the hammy end since and am not planning on going back.
No probs El Capitano, I didn't think you were having a pop! Your experience is awful. That is the reason I don't take my daughter to any games. Why should I expose her to this? There's just no need for it. Friends have been in the family section and it still happens. I think the stewards should throw them out. There is always a minority like this. The majority of supporters are great and the reason why we are a friendly and welcoming club. But, something should be done. Still believing although I had a wobble on Tuesday night. COYW
Not good Captain. Sorry you and the boys had to suffer that. My son (who's much older than your lads) has been equally upset in recent games by a moronic group who semi-circle us at the Cottage. I'm not saying we don't bollock a player for doing something wrong or mutter about Jol's team selection but the line has to be drawn at offensive and abusive rants. And I agree with Craving, the Stewards should be more pro-active. Talking about 'Bollocks'. His more damning comment is in his review of the Hull game when he says, "Unlike Fulham, the Tigers do not lie down".
Maybe, Bandit, but the United fans I know still seem to feel the same way about Moyes as they did a few weeks ago. It's like our wins against Stoke and Palace: all well and good, but as soon as the next poor result and performance came along, it was like they had never happened. I'd love to think that we can be the side to put United back in so-called crisis, but I'm not holding my breath.
Butchered by 'the Bollock' this week. And we need 5 points from the next four games or it's the chop for Jol. Ah well, his prediction rating is running at 76% good so far! "The important thing for Liverpool now is to try to bounce back from last week's defeat by Arsenal. Fulham are probably the ideal opponents for them to do so. I think we saw against the Gunners that playing with three at the back does not work for Liverpool against top-class opposition, because they are clever enough to take advantage of it. Intelligent players will find more space, and they will hurt Liverpool. Arsenal's full-backs had attacking duties as well as doing their defending. The Gunners were the better team all round, but that is where they won the game. Liverpool can play using different systems but that one allows them to play Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge together up front. And, while it did not work against Arsenal, it will work against the Cottagers. The Reds can win on Saturday with three at the back. As for Fulham, their manager Martin Jol obviously remains under lots of pressure. His future will not depend on this result, the same as it didn't depend on last week's defeat by Manchester United. It is his next two or three league games which will be the key for him: at home to Swansea, away at West Ham and home to Spurs. Jol needs at least five points from those matches but the first thing he requires is a performance from his team, because the results will follow. At the moment, the performances are not good enough." Lawro's prediction: 3-0
We are doomed. Lawro is predicting a 2-1 win. As everybody else his view is based on the to be done work by Rene... "Rene Meulensteen has come in as Fulham's head coach under Martin Jol and everyone is putting two and two together and making five, thinking that if they lose their next couple of games then Jol will be out and Rene will become the manager. I am not so sure that is the case. I don't think Meulensteen has taken the coaching job thinking that he will be manager soon. And I think he will do a good job under Jol too, with a different voice and a change of approach to lift the players a little bit. Basically, Fulham's problem is that they are conceding loads of goals. What they really need are a few games where they are difficult to beat and hard to play against. If they pick up a few points, that would give them a platform to build on. They might get something at Craven Cottage to help them on their way. Swansea have been doing well in Europe but they have not got going in the Premier League yet - they are simply not playing as well as they did last season, despite having bought some better players. Lawro's prediction: 2-1" http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25012699
Lawro's got a point about a new coach potentially bringing some optimism to the clubhouse, but I think Swansea will run us ragged and get at least a draw.
Swansea is not the team they were last year just yet. Thye have not peaked yet and we can get 3 points from this game. Just need to keep a clear sheet I believe.
It's no fun when 'the Bollock' is reasonable: "Both these teams are on the same points yet there is more pressure on Fulham manager Martin Jol than West Ham boss Sam Allardyce. That is because we know what the Hammers' problems are. It is not like their owners are thinking Sam does not know his best team; instead they are probably saying: "Well, we have not got a centre-forward, what can we expect?" It is different with Fulham because Jol got pretty much all the players he wanted in the summer, but they have not fired at all. It is games like this that will ultimately decide Jol's fate because, if Fulham get turned over easily by a West Ham side who are well known for not being able to score goals, then the pressure on him will get even more intense. I don't see that happening, though. West Ham were kept at arm's length by Chelsea last week and were well beaten, so it is very difficult to tip either side to win this. I look at West Ham and wonder who is going to score, then I look at Fulham and wonder how they are going to line up away from home. Jol has got Dimitar Berbatov, Darren Bent and Bryan Ruiz to pick from but needs to find a blend in his team. The problem he has got is that none of them are hard-working. If you are playing in a struggling team, that is the very least you have to be. Jol needs to get things right quickly, because every game is a big one for him now." Is his prediction a cop out though?? Lawro's prediction: 1-1
Nearly forgot to look... We get his overall support to stay up, but not the result against Spurs. I feel sorry for Martin Jol, who was sacked as Fulham boss on Sunday. Yes, he is responsible for results, performances and picking the team but there was not enough fight from some of his players in what turned out to be his final game, against West Ham on Saturday. Jol's other problem was that once the Cottagers appointed Rene Meulensteen as head coach last month, they were basically hanging Jol out to dry because of the message that sent to the players. This is a big job for Meulensteen because he is unproven as a manager. All the Manchester United players who played under him when he coached there say what a good coach he is, and we are about to find out. The good news for Meulensteen is that I do not believe for a minute that Fulham are one of the three worst teams in the division. They might have been in the last month when they have lost five league games on the trot but I think the players they have got are better than that, and he will be given money to spend in the January transfer window too. His first job will be to make them difficult to beat again, but I think Meulensteen's biggest challenge is getting the dressing room sorted - he needs to get everyone pulling in the same direction and giving it their all. If he gets that, and freshens his side up with a few new faces, I think Fulham will be OK. I would expect to see an improvement from Fulham in Meulensteen's first game in charge but I think Tottenham are still a bit sore after losing 6-0 to Manchester City last week and they will be desperate to end their four-game run without a league win. Lawro's prediction: 1-2
Now I'm worried...... He's backing us to win 2-1. "Performance-wise, Fulham were very good despite losing at home to Tottenham on Wednesday. It might sound hard to believe but Dimitar Berbatov was running around. Maybe he is playing for a January move - who knows? The Cottagers did not really do a lot wrong against Spurs but they could not get the second goal they needed and, once Tottenham equalised, there only really looked like being one winner. But if Fulham play like that again against Aston Villa, I can see them getting the three points. Villa are very good on their travels, as we saw against Southampton, but I do not see them winning two on the spin away from home. Lawro's prediction: 2-1" Although Simple Minds' Jim Kerr has it 1-2. Match of the Season might not be an understatement - C O Y W !!!
