In today’s press conference Kit confirmed that Jack Grimmer is seing a specialist today and is likely to be out for some time. Larnel Cole has apparently been injured (again) but has been training this week and will feature with the U21s v the Arsenal tonight. Adam Taggart and Sean Kavanagh are also back in training , while Scotty Parker, George Williams and Nando are still in rehab. Bettinelli did fine the other night but I think we’ll see Lonergan back in goal. The back four, with so few options, kind of picks itself. Clearly with two MOTM’s behind him, O’Hara - or the “Putney Pirlo” as Kit called him - will start. From there on we’ll see for the first time whether Kit employs any tactical changes - for instance bringing Pringle inside (to get more involved) with Kaca wide of him (to exploit his pace and current run of confidence). However I can’t see it. Rather he will rest his laurels on what he sees as a "winning" format. So, it will be his ‘best’ players as opposed to the 'best' team. ………………Lonergan…………….. ..Richards….Hutchinson..Burn…..Voser…… ………………..O’Hara………… ….Cairney….LVC…McCormack…..Pringle… ………………..Smith………..
Ok score predictions. You all know what I am like at getting it right, so here goes again Fulham 2 Brighton 3. Full backs problem again Dunk on the score sheet.
Dunk scoring will just about be the icing on the cake. Agree with team, square pegs and round holes! Fulham 1 Brighton 1.
WHAT A SHAMBLES KS could not coach a Sunday school team. Brighton broke from defence and were direct using both LuaLua Kayal and Bong as interchanging wing men., our defence just could not cope. especially Tosser at left back. Richards made some good wing runs but a ball lobed over his head, lacked the speed to get back quick enough. The midfield played across the park constantly. instead of being more direct. Not a great deal to say about the forward line, mostly ineffective with Mc C having a nightmare game constantly waving his arms if he lost possession Kacka not much from him, but I thought Dembele was an improvement on a very tired Smith. Cairneys goal was a cracker. still think Betts panic's with corners. Stockdale looked very safe and his kicking was mostly effectively accurate. no Dunk but if he is still tempted to come to FFC,he may think again after watching this shower. A footnote when the team returned at half time 6 supporters in shirts shouted at Symonds, standing with their backs to the pitch with why no Hyndman. 2 new players. and defiantly a knowledgable coach and we could go places BUT DONT LEAVE IT TO LATE
To say that we had a flat back four and a flat four in midfield in the first half is an understatement. Everything about our play was flat! There was no movement never mind pace. That we went in level at the interval was incredible really and to think it could have been a 2-1 lead but for the header onto the foot of the post … unbelievable. The same old problems I’m afraid, with no shape and players unsure of their role. Pringle, who spent the first 10 minutes on the right before moving to the other wing, looked particularly lost. Generally, nobody wanted the ball and when they got it didn’t know what to do with it. I counted one tackle from us in the first half. Where was the motivation from Kit to go out and make it "Cottage Fortress" ? The final 20 minutes were very much and improvement, although how much that was down to Brighton stepping back to hold onto the draw is arguable. Whatever, O’Hara was now pinging the ball about, with both full backs making good forward runs, and Cairney starting to find space. However with a very out of form McCormack and poor finishing we only huffed and puffed. Our defence always looked vulnerable and so it was in the end. What Hutchinson was thinking about lunging in like that goodness knows - it looked debatable whether his challenge was inside the box from where I sat but it was plain stupid to give the ref the decision. With an ounce of a football brain all he had to do stay on his feet and keep goal side of their guy. Not that their were many on our side who showed a football brain today. Certainly O’Hara, and at times Cairney and Smith (not that that absolves him from the missed headers). Primarily though what we lacked above all else was a leader.
I can't watch many games this year but listening to Gentleman Jim and watching the game against Wycombe can say that nothing seems to have changed... Hopefully will get it sorted somehow.
On paper we have a pretty talented midfield quartet. However, for 70 minutes yesterday things weren’t working and the reason, in my view, is because they are all too similar - basically central attacking players. Albeit O’Hara from a deep position. In fact O’Hara was the only one of the four playing in his natural position but in the first half even he often found himself in front of the others chasing the ball. And there’s the rub they are all gifted when receiving the ball, none though are particularly good at closing down the opposition or winning the ball in tackles. Certainly not from the positions they were in yesterday. Pringle and Cairney, both left footed, started wide right and left respectively but after 10 minutes swapped sides. Neither has the pace to make an impact out wide though. Both will only be effective if they have someone with movement in front of them. LVC can chase, harry and tackle as we saw last season. Yesterday though he was deployed deep and for most of the time the game just passed him by. Some of the issues can be resolved on the training ground. I’d argue not enough though. The only positive steps are for Kit to stop playing ‘square pegs in round holes’ and the Club to recruit a proper defensive midfielder.
Same ol same ol. I've come to the conclusion that Kits definition of a good footballing side that likes to play it on the floor is completely different to mine, and not in his favour! Very disappointed this morning.
Lack of communications. We don't have a leader in the back 4, there seems to be no one who is controlling when we push up, hence when you look across the line there's always seems to be a defender playing their forwards onside. I was surprised at the Center back pairing yesterday, I think that is our 2nd string CB combo. Bettinelli has to also get more vocal, I was screaming at Bodurov that the bloke was going to beat him, but from Bettinelli nothing. I think everyone in the ground thought McC would come off for Dembele except Symonds. Smith litterally won everything in the air but no one got to the second ball!!!, now that is a training ground requirement to get it right. O'Hara again got MOTM, was really the only player who had a good game, the other midfielders were off the pace. Jazz did a few good overlaps at the end which O'Hara was able to pick out. As shown below the Ref Swarbrick got it wrong, it was outside, so that's the first of many to come I guess against us, let's hope we get more than a few ourselves. What was annoying was that he gave a freekick for a head high foot to Brighton only minutes after denying us a penalty for the same thing in the area. All we ask for is consistency and a bit of bottle.
I know I keep harping on but why not try out Hyndman. Kaca, LDV, and Mc C don't look sharp enough after the summer break, Dembele should start up front with Smith. 4 more games for Symonds to get his act together,( and please don't even consider Curbs for the managers role.)
Ah, the mystery man in the astrakhan coat. He was in the Director's seats yesterday but strangely there has been no mention of him or his "consultant" role in the Club's new season blurb.
I think everyone has made some good points on this thread. That first half was very poor but we were unlucky in the end not to come away with a deserved point after the second half performance. It's early days, I think we will improve and I've not given up yet on the potential signings of Dunk and Gayle. If we could get them two we could do well.
I just got this feeling that when Parker is fit Symons will play him as the DM leaving O'Hara to play further up field. Personally I'd like to see how a Hyndman O'Hara partnership would do. That would mean LVC missing out. Mitroglou scored for Benfica on his debut.
The second I saw a back four of Richards Bodurov Hutch Voser I feared the worse and that's not going to change for the next few games another bad start to a season attendances will drop and morale will be low, unless we splash the cash and get Dunk Ream and Gayle in before next Saturday then I can't see any any chance of a season above mid table at best
As I suggested in my earlier post Cookie and borne out in the Viva El Fulham article Madness posted, the problems go deeper that the CBs. It won’t make a jot of difference if Kit continues to deploy a flat four midfield in front of them. A midfield, on Saturday’s evidence, that doesn’t close players down, mark their men, or tackle.
