Just read Hughton's response to the game in the Pink Un. He basically says we have to stop making silly mistakes in defence. Yes, of course we do. But if he thinks that the only thing wrong with that performance was a few defensive errors, we are in for a long, long, long season. If the other team have the ball all the time because your tactics are supine, at some point you are going to make a serious mistake. I didn't see any of the pre-season games, but it sounds as if all the joy and gung-ho enthusiasm has gone, replaced by negativity and fear. The players are good enough - they proved that last year - but they have to a plan that fits them and offers them hope. We're lucky this came in the first game of the season. But only if lessons are taken on board which are a bit more profound than banal truisms about sloppy defending.
wow you got all that out of the few comments he made in the EDP article? I think he's fully aware of what went wrong.
Probably, and I realise managers have to make some kind of comment these days, so they often stick to the banal. But everyone on here saw the problem in the pre-season games, and nothing changed.
His interview on the BBC website was pretty much as I would have expected (assuming he saw the same game as me). He does go on to NOT RULE OUT the possibility of further players coming in before the end of the month. Hopefully he can find what we need, at the price we can afford without stretching the budget http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19221586
I think what he said is fine. He admits it was embarrassing and that it needs to be sorted but its better than the manager coming in and crying all over the place shouting we're doomed. He will have in his mind what needs doing and will already being working on it
That wouldn't worry me, but what would is the other things he said - Apparently we have to accept that most teams players are technically better than ours, he was happy that we "stifled" them for the first twenty minutes and apparently "you don't come here and attack".
You might be reading too much in to it (maybe not though). To a point I am inclined to agree with the philosophy (in the PL) to adopt a more cautious approach for away games, stop the threat and hit on the counter attack. In support of his line "you don't come here and attack" he is right. Fulham (at the Cottage) are a formidable team. I know we don't want to see 90 minutes of defending just to stop the other team but it is a hell of a lot better than getting wasted 5-0 each week if we try to "go for it". As a PL minnow, we have to try and get what we can and i am happy to accept a cautious approach if it means we stay in the top league.
Sorry, but if Fulham are "formidable" then what the hell are we going to do against Spuds next time around? Yesterday was a game we really should have been lookIng to take something from, without question
At the Cottage, they are - which is what I said. Go check their stats. I'll bet you they are better than most teams outside the top 4-6. No way Hoping perhaps but not in my wildest dreams would I think "oh good, Fulham away, we can get 3 points here"
Seriously? With their supposed main man Dempsey out, and without Murphy for the first time in ages I expected them to be there for the taking yesterday. I didn't think they were anything amazing yesterday, but they didn't have to be, we gave them that much space and time it was unbelievable.
I guess the only way we know for sure is if Dempsey leaves and we'll see how well Fulham cope. I reckon they will be top 10 again this season
"Four of the goals were for me really avoidable and that is the most disappointing aspect." I don't think anyone would disagree with that. "It is an area we had looked very solid in pre-season." Debatable. "We know we are playing a really tough league and for me what is more important now is the type of reaction we get.” That's spot on. We need a result next week but a performance is even more important.
If Dempsey leaves, it won't affect them to any major degree. What a fantastic debut from Petric He has goals and guile written all over him. Also impressed with how Mahamadou Diarra totally bossed midfield. A perfect example of the sort of player Superman has been saying Norwich badly lack - and boy, did it show yesterday Sign him up, Hughton - or someone who can play the DM role similar to Diarra.
I have to agree with Munky. If we are going to go to Fulham with the mindset that we will struggle to get anything from the game, we are in for a long, long season away from home. Fulham are widely regarded as being a team that might struggle this season, and we went there and were way to negative. What worries me more is after the game when the players are feeling down and hurt, Hughton comes out with the line "we have to accept most teams players are technically superior to ours". That's going to lift them, isn't it?!
By who? Pundits? Fans? Are these the same people who said Swansea & Norwich would be relegated last season? The same pundits that never even considered any of Blackburn, Wolves and Bolton would be in the bottom 3 last season. The same ones that said Leicester City would walk the Championship last season....... Based on what we saw yesterday, and to back up what Cromer just said, anyone spouting before the season that Fulham were likely to struggle because they have lost one or two players really should learn to shut the **** up to be brutally honest. Players come and players go, it does not always mean the team is weaker for it
Quite clearly Hughton is a good manager. He didn't just get Newcastle back up - they romped what is arguably the most competitive league in football and got (I think) more than a hundred points. When Newcastle sacked him, they were safely midtable in their first season back in the Prem. He managed a despondent Birmingham who couldn't even buy players and took them to a good run in Europe and the playoffs. We were almost unanimously delighted when he came because he clearly seemed the best of the people on offer. He was also said to be very tactically astute. What has happened to him? We have played this way now for five games and while it may have got us clean sheets against Hull and MK, the writing was on the wall and we can see how it fares against a decent Prem side. Treat all opposition as if they are Man City or Real Madrid, put Holt up front alone when it clearly doesn't suit him, try to crowd midfield but not with any real attacking purpose, somehow hope to sneak a result, and when we don't get a result, blame the defence for individual mistakes or our players for not being as gifted as other players. I can see the case for experimenting with a different approach for two or even three games, but quite clearly it isn't working - our defence is as error prone as ever and meanwhile our attack has lost all its bite (it was basically our attack which kept us up last year). I can also see that there will be times where everything goes wrong when you are trying to change from one system or style to another. But one thing I thought Lambert had instilled into our players was tactical flexibility and if the system was right surely it would have sorted itself out by now. What worries me most is the sheer lack of enthusiasm displayed by most of the players. That suggests they don't really believe in what they are being told to do. I would also like to see more faith put in those players like Hoolahan and Fox who have taken us to where we are today. OK everyone, shoot me down for this being such a negative post. I know it's only one game and I know we are adjusting to the new Norwich and I really believe we have a group of players who are good enough to compete in the Prem. But the 4-5-1 with Holt isn't working, you guys have nearly all pointed out that it isn't working, and if this result doesn't make that obvious to Hughton, I don't know what will.
Listen, regardless of whether Fulham are going to struggle this season, they are no top eight side, and as this is now our second season and most of our players are settled Premier League players, we should be looking at games like Fulham away as being games we could look to win. From the way we were set-up and the way we played, at no point was anybody expecting us to win. However, I'm not worried about the team and the season, as I think we'll be fine, I was just a little concerned at Hughton's post match comments.
and the award for the most arrogant tosser of the day goes to.... I am one who thought Fulham would struggle this year, and the two Fulham fans I work with are two more that I know of. One swallow doesn't make a summer, and you've obviously forgotten the first day of last season when Bolton stuffed Stoke 5-0 - the rest of the season didn't go to well did it? Anyone would have stuffed us yesterday, and I'll admit Fulham were much better than I'd given them credit for, but I'd rather wait more than 90 minutes before making a proper assessment thanks and I really don't need you start to start telling me to "shut the **** up", that is just ignorant and rude I could easily say the same to a lot of the misguided twaddle you post but I choose to show a bit of respect and don't so maybe wind your neck in a bit eh?
Why? You, like most pundits based their opinion on the fact Fulham have sold some players and Dempsey might be leaving (and was not playing yesterday), so you thought they were weak and there for the taking, that is arrogant and totally disrespectful to Fulham and you have just about said as much -as pointed out below. and you've obviously forgotten the first day of last season when Bolton stuffed Stoke 5-0 - Nope, Bolton stuffed QPR 4-0 at Loftus Road Anyone would have stuffed us yesterday, and I'll admit Fulham were much better than I'd given them credit for, but I'd rather wait more than 90 minutes before making a proper assessment thanks and I really don't need you start to start telling me to "shut the **** up", that is just ignorant and rude - but you clearly made up your mind about our chances before seeing a ball kicked by Fulham? I could easily say the same to a lot of the misguided twaddle you post but I choose to show a bit of respect and don't so maybe wind your neck in a bit eh? - you could and can if you want to, doesn't bother me
