How insightful Beef, you predicted that if we lose then the fans would moan. Thats very astute Beef where do you learn this skill. Did you tell us so before the game that we would get hammered? I don't recall the same assuredness in your prediction or reference to it post result You didn't tell us anything (we don't already know), you never do.
no, but I do told you so that people were lining up to say "I told you so" All I can say is thank god Ward wasn't playing, he'd have been lynched.
I agree it was only our first game so no reason to panic but the overall display was dire. i watched the game and was just embarrassed, we looked like a league 1 side. No idea and Fulham just kept lobbing the defense, time and time again. Lets hope lesson learned and move on.
Thats right, they did tell you so but you disregarded it. They were right and you were wrong. It should be them telling you "I told you so", I'd curb the smart arse repostes if I were you. All the telling was going your way
If there's any positive to be taken from this, I think it's better to lose 5-0 than somehow scrape a defeat by 1-0. We were lucky in the pre-season friendlies and I wish Ajax had done this to us because perhaps we would have changed approach earlier. If Hughton doesn't know by now that there is a problem with playing Holt as a single striker and change his entire tactics in response, then I don't understand how he was so successful at Newcastle and Brum.
Learning from the olympics from a supporter point of view. I'm not necessarily talking about during the game, although people do criticise players too much sometimes when they do something wrong but to heavily criticise the team afterwards is wrong. Instead, look at the positives and encourage the players to improve, not say they were crap.
Here's a challenge for you Wonky...........a list of positives please! I'll start you off; 1) No one died! The End. ILD OTBC
Getting a bit bored with the not being allowed to criticise Ward and Morison thing, not sure why that was even brung up. Bad performance, realistically I think it's a kick up the arse, if the players don't react to this than I think I will than be worried. Also though Fulham looked very good, could see them doing well this season. If they keep Dembele. IHWT
I agree, I was surprised at how good Fulham looked on Saturday, their midfield totally dominated and we couldn't get near them. I really rate Dembele and expected him to look good, but they all looked far more up for it and match fit on the day and thoroughly deserved the comfortable win. That said, the scorching hot weather suited them down to the ground while our British players all looked to be struggling from the off. It will be interesting to see how good they are during the cold, wet winter months of November-February, and also when they come up against some half-decent opposition with at least half a clue in how to create chances, like next week against ManUre for example. My conclusion is that I might well have called it wrong to suggest they were going to be relegation strugglers, but also that it's far, far to early to be suggesting anyone outside the top six is anything like safe yet based on one game, that's plain ridiculous, particularly with almost two weeks of the transfer window to go
Agree with all of that I understand why people may have thought Fulham would be down there. (Still might be) I think Danny Murphy is a bigger loss than realised, someone who can keep hold of the ball and dictates the tempo of games, think should have been played for England more times than he did.
Two Fulham fans I work with couldn't believe he wasn't offered another year, and one actually described his release as a "recipe for disaster". They didn't appear to miss him much yesterday, but if they receive an offer they can't refuse for Dembele then this season might not be such a walk in the park, particularly with Dempsey (who also may not have been missed against us, though surely his 20 goals from last year will be missed at some point) on his way as well.
I'm a bit alarmed by comments like this, yes it's the truth and both points are correct, but, last year we competed with Fulham in midfield and created some chances, on Saturday we didn't, 2 attempts on goal in the whole game, it was a repeat of the pre-season games and it scares me that people are desperatly trying to find positives from that. Lets be 'realistic', there's no shame in that. I went to nearly all the pre-season games, and they were without exception very very poor. I've seen many excuses bandied about, AJAX invented the passing game for instance! Our game plan was to play 8 across the back and hope to try and hit Holt with a punt upfield. Pretty much the same as we played against Fulham. Pre-season games are supposed to be about learning, getting tactics sorted out, etc. Well I'm sorry but we haven't learned anything and we have NO tactics, apart from defending enmasse. ILD OTBC
I don't think Hughton is a mug and fully expect us to probably show are attacking intent again next few weeks. We are still getting used to the way Hughton wants us to play and I think a few tweaks and patience will do the trick. If the reaction is there weekend effort wise and an improved performance than I will begin to feel as confident as I did before the 5-0.
I don't think Hughton is a mug, but I don't think we have the players to do what he wants us to do. The feel of what he says and how we play is just not right. The chemistry just isn't there.
I think it's getting the balance right, which I am sure he can do with this squad. I think this team are capable of defending better and still have a similar attacking intent. I think a holding midfielder and probably more width is the way to do it myself. (admittedly that's based on what I've seen from friendlies and goals conceded and what I've read, not watched full highlights on MOTD, waiting for it to come on Iplayer)
