At today’s press conference Kit confirmed that Matt Smith will be out for 4-6 weeks with ligament damage. Marcus however is much more severe and will be sidelined for a considerable time linger. Despite that Kit has no plans to look for a keeper in the transfer market; he’s content with Lonergan and Joronen as back up, admitting that Jesse does need more game time after his own long term injury. Jack Grimmer is out for 8 weeks. Nando, Parker and Williams limping along and no word about Garbutt. Not surprisingly he wouldn’t be drawn on whether Tim Ream would play but gave a guarded “ it may be a bit early“ so you can take that as a “no!”. Sean Kavanagh is another one without games under his belt but has to be a contender for the LB spot. An ever favourite of Kit’s I’m sure that the plan was to give him half-an-hour in the Hull match but the double injury put paid to that. And I think he’ll start on the bench again. So I reckon it’s ‘as you were’ for the back row except .. will he bring Burn back for the hapless Bodurov? My guess is that he will, using the limp ‘rotation’ excuse. Rotation won’t be in his thinking for the midfield however. The only question, is how will he line them up? With Smith out there is a dilema as well in who will take the lead role? Should Dembele get a continued run or will Kit revert to another favourite in Woodrow? Or is there an alternative? I believe there is and that is, to play the out of form McCormack there with LVC and Pringle either side of him. The rationale being to get both of those two further forward and in positions more suited to their style. The starting eleven would then look like: ……………….Lonergan…………… …Richards…Hutchinson…Burn…Voser… …..Cairney……O’Hara…………Kaca… ……….LVC……………..Pringle… ………………McCormack……… PS Emerson Hyndman would have been in my selection but at the press thing Kit more or less said “he’s off”. It’s clear that any negotiations about a new contract are dead so he’ll be relegated to the U21s.
Make mine a pint of double diamond please and if that's not available, which I hope it bloody well isn't, make it a pint of London Pride!!! In all seriousness we need a win tomorrow. We need everyone to start the game with high tempo and intensity. 3 games in and I feel its going to be a rough ol' season. I obviously want to be proved wrong. Heart says 2-0, head says 1-1 COYW
Well, I'm coming up for this one, along with the two junior captains, so hopefully we'll see something worth the journey. As ever, I'm travelling optimistically despite all evidence to the contrary. 3-1 win, with all three Fulham goals scored after the 86th minute.
Have a great day out with your boys el capitano. They are lucky charms for sure. I'm going to adjust my heart prediction to 4-0.
Lonergan in for Bettinelli. Burn in for Bodurov. Dembele in for Smith and possibly Kaca in for Pringle. Don't think there'll be any change in formation. ----------------------------Lonergan-------------------------- Richards---------Hutchinson-------Burn----------Voser -----------------------------O'Hara--------------------------- Cairney-------------------LVC---------------------Pringle -------------------------------------McCormack------------ ------------------Dembele----------------------------------- More than capable of winning the game, and I think we will. 3-1 for me. McCormack to finally play like McCormack.
We need +90 minutes of the 2nd half performance against Hull, but with more effort on having shots on goal and less tippy-tappy in front of their box, and give no late goals away. I think it will be the lineup Fulhamireland has. One of the tactics I hope Symons saw Bruce use, was Hull didn't have his fullbacks boom on past the wingers to cross the ball, but he had the wingers push the two markers back towards the area then had his winger pass the ball back to the fullback who was about 20 yards back with space and no makers, they crossed it in first time without taking a touch to either the near post or far post where our small defence couldn't cope, and twice it led to goals. Obviously you could have stopped this if Cairney and Pringle had tracked the FBs, but they didn't they were too busy trying to help our own FBs. With our small defenders and no Smith and Burn corners are going to be a big problem to defend.
I don't know about lucky charms, Craving. My eldest had a decent run of games (starting in the glory season of 2009-10) before he saw Fulham lose, but my youngest still hasn't ever - ever - seen us win a game despite going to his first match in 2012-13. We only get to two or three games a season, mind, so that isn't quite as bad as it sounds.
I missed the first match due to holiday - a good move obviously. I'm going Fulham win only because we have to. Pringle to get the winner. No clean sheet of course that's a given and we'll likely fall behind as well 'making it hard for ourselves'
Did not renew my season ticket and did not make to days game, waiting for reports from 606 attendees A new manager required immediately. some will say another 2 defenders required, but lets be honest who wants to come to the Cottage while this clown Symonds is in charge Some rough and tumble required which "Allerdice" could provide
After our rotten luck this season with conceding late goals, nobody can say we didn't deserve one of our own! Shame that it was only to get 1 point, but we'll take it and move on.
The idea of Big Sam is becoming more and more appealing every game. Never thought I'd be saying that.
Well I'm sure when we get to see the highlights of this game it will look as if it was end to end stuff. But the truth is it was a very tepid 1st half again with one moment of excitement when O'Hara let fly from 25 yards and their goalie pulled off a worldie. Our possession figures will look good again, but then most of the passing was going backwards towards our own goal. 2nd half both defenses were giving the ball away near their areas and Huddersfield capitilised on one as Voser lost possession (not for the first time) and the rest of our defenders failed to react. Just before they scored their goalie pulled off a great save from a Dembele header. Bu then it was left to Lonergan to pull off 3 superb saves to keep us in it as our defense fell apart again. Huddersfield had been time wasting all game and it came back to bite them on the bum, when Burn was pushed up front in the dying minutes to latch onto a header and directed it to sub Woodrow who half volleyed it into the net four minutes into stoppage time. For me Only 3 players played well Dembele, O'Hara and Lonergan.
What happened to 'I'll give him eight games'? I'm sure you said that at the start of the season. That said, I'm starting to think we should move on to a new manager. Not Allardyce though, not ever for me. How about Nigel Clough?
I wouldn't go as far as saying only three played well. I'd agree that the three you mention were good, and I'd add Kacaniklic and Burn (for most of the game) to them. I didn't think any individuals had bad games, but the team wasn't set up right. Too often we were too narrow, which is down to the manager as much as the players. It was the first time I've seen us live for some time, and Kit doesn't seem to have learned from last season's mistakes.
I may have said 8 games earlier on ,but lets face it a home draw against a team that possibly wont be championship high fliers comes next April does not seem good enough. do we drag his stewardship out till maybe late October, when the new man may have to start his managerial career with us playing relegation avoidance catch up There is some talent in this side no doubt but managerial motivation seems very lacking. Clough defiantly not for me,
Huddersfield were dreadful - probably the weakest team I’ve seen in decades. We were horrible. - none of our players played well; some were simply not as bad as others. You cant play flat footed, non-combative football and expect to win. We need a bit of luck says Kit and the injury to “the boy Sakari Matilla in the warm up was just typical“. He was only on the bench though and replaced by Tim Ream who we’re told again, “wasn’t quite ready”. So fair enough, that immediately limited the options to change things. But only one sub (excluding the enforced one of Hutchinson)? Poor old Voser was struggling on the left with only a right foot to play with but saw an awful lot of the ball. What was Kit’s reason for not using Kavanagh?
Fulham to loan Joe Lewis Cardiff's 3rd choice goalkeeper, This is a real confidence booster for Jesse Jaronen
