Substitutions???

[FulhamIreland]

Did Jol really not make any substitutions in the whole game? What's that all about? West Brom showed what a pair of fresh legs can do, Tchoyi came on in the 77th minute and scored in the 82nd. We usually give out about how late he makes his changes but today he didn't make any. He has to change his ways.

 

[FFC_Madness]

Subs? What's that? A new drink? A beer maybe... If it was a beer Jol would know about it.

The guy was asleep on the bench. Davies was walking most of the second half in his first appearance after months. Murphy so many wrong passes. Sidwell the same...

Was Jol watching the match or dreaming of pies and beers?

Frei, Baird and Gecov/Kasami or even Trotta might have changed the game and keep West Brom glued at their half defending...

 

[valjing]

Just returned from the match,another great disappointment.
Lets be honest with no disrespect,we should be taking maximum
points at home against the likes of WBA.
We basically have a back 2 who are not prem quality,every regular supporter knows this,
but does Jol bid for anyone during the transfer window ?,after scoring much against the run of play at the time
he decided to sit back and absorb what pressure WBA could produce,with no full backs,an elementary schoolboy coach
would realize it cannot be done.

 

[RobespierreFFC]

Just returned from the match,another great disappointment.
Lets be honest with no disrespect,we should be taking maximum
points at home against the likes of WBA.
We basically have a back 2 who are not prem quality,every regular supporter knows this,
but does Jol bid for anyone during the transfer window ?,after scoring much against the run of play at the time
he decided to sit back and absorb what pressure WBA could produce,with no full backs,an elementary schoolboy coach
would realize it cannot be done.

When you say a back 2 who aren't prem quality I assume you're referring to the full backs rather than the centre backs? Obviously the lack of subs is a concern, yet what concerned me more was Jol's post match interview. He seemed to be struggling for words a bit, using the lack of Zamora, AJ and Dembele as an excuse (fair enough) but the length of time he took to respond concerned me a bit. Sounded almost like he's losing faith in his own ideas. Can't work out why Frei didn't come on, wasn't at the game but I went to the Arsenal game a few weeks back and Frei's introduction changed the game. A young bench tonight, yet he seemed to have a worrying lack of faith in them.

 

[valjing]

" ROBES"

Yes full backs
Did not see JOLS post match interviews,but noted your comment about him losing faith in his own ideas
I AM.

 

[Cottager58]

It was not a set of fresh legs we needed, more a set of fresh ideas. We generally played well and had the bulk of the possession but as the game wore on we were slow, slow, predictable and slow. Too many high balls drifted into the penalty box which we had no chance of winning and less chance of holding. Murphy was the main culprit but Sidwell showed a total lack of imagination. When the ball was played wide to Kelly it was like he had a mental block. On the other side, Hangeland rarely played the ball out to Riise. Why? Because he merely stops the ball and passes it backwards to Hangeland.

Around the 70 minute mark Jol should have I believe tried to mix things up a bit - Frei for Davies (who was undestandably flagging) and Kasami for Sidwell (who was giving the ball away too much as well as slowing things down).

However he didn't and we scored. Brilliant pass from Ruiz and equally brilliantly taken by our saviour. After that I could see why he was reluctant to bring on someone new. Unfortunately we reverted to complacent, non threatening diddly squat passing back and forth and got sloppy.


This was a game made for Ruiz; slow pace careful but not excessively tight marking, open space if you looked for it. However, apart from 2 excellent through passes to Dempsey and a lovely mazy run (albeit then fluffing his shot from 6 yards) he failed to impose himself.

So two points lost.

It wasn't by any means all bad but there just wasn't enough sparkle to suggest a bright new horizon.

 

[silkship]

It seemed odd that, having experimented with 4-3-3 and 4-1-4-1 and various other combinations over the last few months, he decided to try and beat woy with a 4-4-2, pretty much the formation the guy has perfected.

West Brom came and played like Fulham did away under woy, with a solid structure and an organised defence. We played like Bobby was still there and reverted to the long ball on most occasions.

Kelly sees far too much of the ball, it's like the opponents don't bother marking him and encourage us to pass it over to him. He is an honest player, and not a bad defender- but he is not good enough going forward. Riise is exposed to any kind of pace.

We should get better, but I am a bit confused by Jol.

 

[FFC_Madness]

Yesterday I was watching two teams playing 4-4-2 carbon copy. No surprise that the score was 1-1. No opportunities, no space, nothing really to excite you about...

Dembele is missed at the moment. Pavel will be welcome the moment he is ready as we are missing a striker.

Dempsey is the only player that is a threat.

Ruiz linked up well with him but he needs to be faster some times. He tends to loose the ball frequently but the guy will come well. Is a class player and as he gets stronger and used to the PL which is more physical is another Dembele in the making.

Kelly was not bad yesterday. As people say he is an honest player and does his best. May be his best is not good enough. Riise is more of a liability for me. He is leaving Hangeland exposed on the left and that's where the goal came for West Brom yesterday. Don't understand why Briggs is not give a chance...

Two points wasted and Jol has a great share of that failing. Baird should have come in as he is a better distributor of the ball than "sideways" Sidwell. (That was borrowed from the Villa fans.)

Maybe we can make amends on Saturday against Man City. Only a hope due to the dip in their form and players missing in Africa...

 

[Super Brian McBride]

I seem to come on here and have to say time and time again that we build up to slowly, by the time we
have passed the ball 20 times before we get to their penalty area, the opposition have got two backs of
four lined up against us that we rarely break through.

I don't normally like picking on players unless they keep making the same mistake, and have to agree with FFC_Madness
Riise is a liability. He is leaving Hangeland exposed on the left, it happened about 4 or more times yesterday,
and has happened in numerous other games.
Because Hangeland has to go wide left, Riise should be sprinting back to either back him up or move into the
center of defense to cover, but he doesn't seem to do either as he lacks the speed to get back in those positions.

 

[Cottager58]

.I don't normally like picking on players unless they keep making the same mistake, and have to agree with FFC_Madness
Riise is a liability. He is leaving Hangeland exposed on the left, it happened about 4 or more times yesterday, and has happened in numerous other games.
.

This. And would somebody at Motspur Park please put him and Kelly on detention until they manage to cross the ball.

 

[Bandit]

This. And would somebody at Motspur Park please put him and Kelly on detention until they manage to cross the ball.

What are the chances we see Briggs and Baird in their places next game? NOT A CHANCE.

 

[valjing]

Maybe if Briggs started calling himself Van Den Briggs
and Baird Jan Christian Baird
There would be a better chance of 1st team football ? ?

 

[Bandit]

Maybe if Briggs started calling himself Van Den Briggs
and Baird Jan Christian Baird
There would be a better chance of 1st team football ? ?

Mate even if Briggs became Giggs he wouldn't get a game.

 

[valjing]

BANDIT I like it

 

[Captain Morgan]

Maybe if Briggs started calling himself Van Den Briggs
and Baird Jan Christian Baird
There would be a better chance of 1st team football ? ?

Yes, because Baird is being kept out by Stefan Kellini and Baird by Baron von Sidwellstrom. I think nationality is a red herring on this one, especially as you could make an argument that if (for example) Etuhu, Gecov and Kasami were called Smith, Jones and Harris they might get more first team action.

For what it's worth, I'd have Baird in the first choice line up in midfield and possibly centre-back (although I'm happy with Senderos ahead of him), but I wouldn't pick him ahead of Kelly at right back. I agree that we need better full-backs, but Kelly is probably the best we've got at the moment on the right.

 

[Cottager58]

. I agree that we need better full-backs, but Kelly is probably the best we've got at the moment on the right.

Makes it all the more of a mockery that we didn't make a move in the January window. Jol seems oblivious to our weekness in these two key positions and the detrimental effect it's having on Hangerland. Maybe we should rename him - Fanny Blinkers Jol ?