So I didn't get to watch the match today. Can anyone give me a rundown? Disappointed at the result, but I've learnt not to expect much when we play away...
Evening Bidley, did not see the game but listened to Kamara on Sky Sports, so take this as you wish. It seems we were the better team in the first half but that WBA came back into it. We had a goal disallowed because Kasami was borderline offside. The result is frustrating again, but if the performance was similar to Chelsea away then not too much to worry about. COYW
Evening all, poor result and either team could have won it based on highlights and BBC... We need a knife for some cutting edge!!!
Fulham had 18 shots 9 on target and 9 off-target. WBA had 8 shots 5 on target 3 off-target. It was another game were they failed to take their chances. Fulham wearing Gold shirts and blue shorts had the best of the first half Dembele, Dempsey and Sa all had shots in the first half as Fulham controlled the game. Kasami had a goal ruled out for a disputed offside in the first half, after a Dempsey shot had been parried away by the keeper. Second half WBA were better and Odemwingie should have scored when he broke away but Schwarzer saved one on one. Dempsey had a shot that was deflected onto to the bar. From a free-kick touch Riise shot, the keeper save low down, Ruiz on as sub got to the rebound but could only push the ball with his left foot onto the post and behind, he should have gone with his right foot and scored. Right near the end Brunt hit the post with Schwarzer beaten. Minute into injury time Sa broke into the box but fired over.
I watched the replay on Sky. I thought we were better than WBA, but not by a large margin. We were unfortunate not to have won the game, though the Baggies hit the woodwork as well. Ruiz missed a good chance, but in his defense, he had to really stretch to get a toe on it at all ahead of the keeper. It was a disappointing display. Sa' had a decent game, I thought. He has size and pace and created a bunch of chances playing in the Zamora role. Dembele had a mixed game at best. Dempsey was our best player again. Kasami had his first poor game, I thought. Nicky Shorey had his number.
Only saw MOTD highlights but as usual confused with the offside rule. Kasami seemed to be when the ball went to Dempsey but he (Kasami) wasn't interfering with play. I don't believe he was when Foster spilled the ball. No comment. One aspect that I find frustrating about Jol's tactics is the penchant for late substitutions. Yesterday he took off Murphy and brought on Etuhu with 3 minutes to go. Result from said E; 1 back pass, 1 forward pass and 1 ball given away in 91st minute - which could have been costly.
In jols defence cottager he really didn't have much to work with from a bench with kelly, senderos, briggs, etuhu, gecov and ruiz. Aside from ruiz when his form picks up and maybe briggs whos really gonna be a match turner out of that lot?
Cottager, I thought the lino got Kasami's offside rule right. I wish she hadn't, but she was spot on. For what it's worth, on the other occasions I've noticed her making a controversial decision, I can't remember her getting one wrong. I think she's one of the better linos and she's obviously where she is on merit.
We seem to have been unlucky with offsides recently: Aguero ruled onside when he was borderline and Kasami ruled offside when he was borderline. I'm not saying that either decision was wrong just that we must be due some borderline decisions going our way soon. On the other hand, we are Fulham...
I think the offside ruling by lino's are very difficult for them, the ones were there are a leg or shoulder is ahead of a defender, it's a split second decision. It's so borderline, that they only way they might change it is to say there has to clear day light between defender and attacker. But at the same time they need to change back to offside given for any player in an offside position when the ball is played forward, whether he touches the ball or not. I watch a lot of Bundesliga and I don't know what technique the lino's use there, but they do get the majority of decisions right.
I can't argue with the assistant's decision - It's a fine line, and she got it right. However, I tend to think that things do tend to even things out over a season.
The basic problem with linesmen (or women) is that they ignore the overriding rule for situations like this: when in doubt the call should go to the offensive player, not the defensive. If Kasami was offside, it was because his hair is too long in the front. That's about it. I'm with Bidley - on another day, she might have gone the other way. Every game there are probably two or three missed offside calls, but I'd say 80/20 it goes against the offense.
I agree with Gera that these things even themselves out over the season. Not sure we can blame Kasami's hair though, DR! Maybe his eyelashes....?
My understanding of which bits count for offside is that the forward-most part of the body that could legally touch the ball is the bit that counts. On my freeze-frame viewing, Kasami's leg is clearly ahead of the equivelant part of the defender. If you go by torsos, it's milimetres, but if you include the limbs (which, in Kasami's case was the relevant body part) it's clearcut. As others have said, it's still a tough call in real time for a lino, but she got it right.
She did indeed get it right Captain, but in real time, it would've looked as much onside as off. If she'd have given it to us she would've been given the benefit of the doubt. Isn't hindsight wonderful!?
A tad galling is that in the same fixture last year at least one, if not both, of the Baggies' goals were equally borderline but given in their favour. Not the same lineperson, of course.
