I'm not expecting any great display tonight, just a professional getting-the-job-done 0-0 draw, or even losing by a solitary goal and getting safely through to the group stages. As for Sunday, let's look at the facts: - We haven't scored in either of our two league games - Newcastle haven't conceded in either of their two league games - Our away record has been less than impressive in recent years - We sometimes struggle on the Sunday after a Europa league match, particularly when either game is away - and on this occasion both games are away - Over the last couple of years, our forward line has looked lightweight and uncompetitive without Bobby Zamora to lead it - Bobby missed last week's game with Wolves and may still be unfit for Sunday Taking all that into account... I'm inexplicably predicting a fine 3-0 away win. The only positive crumb I can find to support that is that it looks like Newcastle will have just lost Joey Barton, who is as effective for them on the pitch as he is a trouble-magnet off it. That's small beer when stacked up against the evidence listed above, but I feel a glorious away win coming. You heard it here first.
Love your optimism Captain,but without a decent R/B, & a goalscoring C/F ,we will be in trouble, without the aforementioned we are in fact playing with 9 men. My pre! Dnipro 0:0, 0:2 to them ~ Newcastle 2/3 Fulham 0. Alarm bells then start to ring.
I'm not optimistic. My main worry is that we are playing Hughes as RB and thus we are loosing the battle on the right wing. If Bobby is not playing the team needs plan B and not sure if we have that yet. I predict a Toons win marginally.
As I said before, my optimistic prediction isn't based on any tangible evidence. Looked at rationally, it's all pointing against us. But I've just got a feeling that this weekend is going to be a bit special for us (in a good way). Can't explain it, but that's the way I'm feeling.
The first thing I looked at when we drew Dnipro was where the league game after the away leg was. Ukraine on a Thursday followed by Newcastle away on Sunday is not great. I'm confident we'll get the job done tonight. If Dnipro are going to try to make a series effort to get back into the tie they're going to need to take risks, so I can see us getting an away goal. As for Sunday - a draw would be a good result. I'd take 0-0 or 1-1, but fear the worst after last weekend to be honest.
I'm with Fulhamish - I think we'll do the job tonight. As I've said on another thread I can't see Dnipro getting 4 goals past us and if we do manage to get a sneaky away goal (I thought Clint looked v impressive against them last week - they clearly don't know how to deal with someone like him so I can see him getting one tonight) it will make it all but impossible for them. I was irrationally optimistic about Wolves last weekend and got it totally wrong. Reality has now hit home and, especially if we are without Bobby, I can see us drawing at best but, like Fulhamish, I fear the worst.
I still have faith in our forwards, particularly Kasami and Dembele to make things happen for us. I'm going for a score draw in both games.
Have no doubts about tonight that will do the job. I think we are going to progress in the group stages. Hopefully after tonight and with some extra hot cash coming in from UEFA and projected revenues from the games they can spend some cash to get a RB and CF on board.. Regarding the Toons game I am pessimistic given our performance last week and past history without Bobby. May be Jol has done some work over the past few days. Also he will have the chance to try a similar scheme tonight given that Bobby is out.
I'd be OK with Jol resting our key players and putting up a good fight against Newcastle, but I fear the team is a little out of sorts right now, perhaps because the normal routine of preparing for the EPL season was thrown off by by the Europa League stuff. We had a horribly slow start to the season last year, too, as I recall. I'm not optomistic for Sunday. Tonight should be easy enough.
Didn't watch the game tonight but by all accounts it was backs aginst the wall stuff. Quite suprised by the team selection as I thought a few younger players may have featured but it would seem we needed a strong team out, as it happened. All makes me nervous for the Newcastle game. This game tonight will have taken something out of them. I'm going up for the Newcastle game - with a 6.00am start I'm going to be tired, let alone our players.
Phew! I was glad when the Dnipro match ended. It was hard work - just for me to listen on the radio! Certainly was "backs to the wall", as FCOYW says. In the end, MJ was proven to be right in going for experience in order to get the result. Unfortunately, it seems that Riise might be out for a few weeks, but Briggs seemed to have done ok last night. Still it's "job done" and we are in the group stages again. Sunday against Newcastle could be a defining moment in terms of how FFC is going to cope with the Thursday-Sunday routine, especially, since there are few easier games in the EL starting from last night going forward. 2 years ago, it took a while to adapt to it. An interesting test for MJ and the senior players. Borne out by the post-match Jol & Sidwell articles on the cubs website. Mick McCarthy made me smile at the weekend after he noted Fulham's performance saying that if Wolves ever looked like qualifying for the EL, he'd run on the pitch to get a card! But we are Fulham; in the Premier League for 10 years; enjoying the good fortune of some great midweek nights at The Cottage; for as long as it lasts!
GeraScores, I think Mick has a point with respect the ability of the team to compete for so long with a small squad. It is clear to us fans and must be clear to Jol et. al. Don't forget it was 2 years ago and players were younger then. We need to strengthen either by transfer or from within!!! Other than that really pleased to watch a few more European games and who knows!! (Although certain that a few of those will get me out of pocket..)
Well, my credentials as a soothsayer are intact from the first half of my prediction. Now it's time to bring on the barcodes!
Captain I give you that If the rumours about a tension between Jol and Bobby are true I'm not so sure... (But Bobby plays better when he has to prove something!)
3-0 win at Newcastle. I first thought that have you been on the juice celebrating from last night, but on reflection (as an ex-Newcastle manager famously said) I'd Love It! Get's us over the away form Bogey before it starts, and proves Thursday-Sunday is doable. Or maybe I had too much from celebrating last night's win.
