Agreed we were dire. I think the first time their keeper touched the ball was in the 29th minute. Think we had 4 shots on goal all game - and for a team at home that is dire. Berba just didn't look up for anything. As a guy near me said - might be this is a season too far for him. Ruiz was terrible, gave the ball away, kept falling over, kara kept giving the ball away, Sidwell was next to useless. Thought Amorebietta was good value as was Boateng when he came on. No idea why he didn't start with Bent seemed to make no sense whatsoever. Bent was good and could (should) have had another. Kasami was definitely a standout and looked to be one of the few players on the pitch with drive and desire. Rether cleared two goal bound shots off the line - both from Huth - could so easily have been two down before we scored. If we play like that against Palace we will lose, no question.
If Jol insists on playing 3 centre backs, then why does he not play with 3 cbs, two wing backs, 3 midfielders, and two strikers as (Captain I think it was) suggested in another post. I don't get the whole idea of playing players out of position. Amorebieta is a centre back and a very good one at that. We have 2 players for every position and somehow manage to play players out of position (Ruiz, Kasami, Taraaabt, Amore etc.). I'm firmly in the Jol IN camp but something somewhere has to change.
Got to agree with all of those comments. And in particular: Why on earth did Duff start on the left? (He was non-existent until moving late in the second half to the right, and for the first time we saw something of Riether’s offensive play) Why on earth did he start with Sidwell and Kara in the middle after their showing against Cardiff? (As I said after that game, one is like a headless chicken and the other scuttles about.) In a nutshell. Berba had a couple of the old touches today but showed no real commitment. Bryan is simply not strong enough or fast enough for the premiership. Sidwell can’t read the game and leaves himself, and the others around him, exposed. Stockdale has to come into this list of players not good enough at the moment. He has no communication with the back four and his lack of command inside his 6 yard box is plain scary. There’s no point pretending, that goal did nothing other than paper over the cracks. Before getting to the positives - and yes, there were some - a mention about Hangeland. He’s had back trouble before, so let’s hope it not a serious recurrence. Not sure when it happened during the game (he wasn’t holding or rubbing his back at an point, although right before half time when in the Stoke box he made little attempt to run back ) and it will be interesting to see if he’s okay to play for Norway next week. The positives. Absolutely Riether. For the two goal line clearances and especially that 70 yard run. Not only did it lift the crowd but the team as well. Boateng who could take on his man, made telling forward passes and generally brought the needed element of compusure to the side. He showed exactly what reading the game is all about. Kasami has come on leaps and bound and is gaining in confidence. Without doubt our MOTM. The fans. I think Jol has lost them but Fulham hasn’t.
Not much too add- it was a very poor game, one of the worst I've seen in the last 5 years. We had two shots on target, both in the second half. Both were brilliant efforts, not a result of teamplay, but down to luck and individual ability. I think this is our biggest problem. We struggled to play with any intent and Stoke held the ball for extended periods, particularly in the first half. We were lucky not to concede two penalties. In the first incident Senderos looked likely to go off his feet from the moment he started tracking him. Amo appeared to have taken his man on the second. I think Jol has to go, but not yet. The team is so unbalanced that no manager we could realistically get can change without dipping into the academy. I dont see the point having Taraabt and paying his wages if he isn't going to play and we have cover for all of his positions. We have too many of the same type player and a weak starting line up- the team has been sacrificed for individuals.
I think the lack of tactics is a lack of confidence. There's no way that MJ sends them out without clear instructions and a game plan. That's absurd. We were lucky but blimey we've seriously had our share of the bad kind already. The guy who tackled Berbatov was lucky to get a yellow, Ruiz had a stonewall penalty, Stoke had one not given and the replay shows Senderos never touched Ireland. Hangeland went off injured, how many more? At least we got the 3 points we desparately needed. We won ugly, who cares! Boateng played well as did Reither and Amore too. Now MJ has a chance to see what Berbatov gives the team . Hopefully he's out for a week or two. I never thought I'd say that about a player but I am convinced he's the issue. Onwards and upwards. I wonder if the West Ham supporters are asking for Allardyces head? They were only on 5 points!
3 points and much relief for the manager and fans even though it wasn't a great game, a great result. Let's hope this brings a bit more confidence to the team. Still didn't play as a team, but then we haven't had a settled team with now more injuries to Hangeland and Berbatov, but at least there is a few weeks break with the internationals, hope to get Stekelenberg, Dejagah and Parker back fit along with the others for the Palace game. I'm still backing Jol and the Team to move us up the table soon. Jol puts his faith in certain players, but they are under performing, it seems some players think they are superior to putting in the effort required to play as a team.
I'm glad for the three points, but, having watched the replay on Sky, I'd chaulk this one up to "it's better to be lucky than good". Except for the five-minute span on either side of our goal, we were thoroughly out played by Stoke. I guess the silver lining is that Bent showed real class in scoring that goal.
Well said DR. I'm also in the positive "half glass full camp". I've got a feeling Jol will use this fortnight wisely and sort things out. Onwards and upwards COYW
How can you all be so optimists? We have had 3 months to sort things out and we have not. I honestly hope he does sort things out as I don't want him to leave. But he has to convince us...
Madness, my positivity is based upon the 2nd half performance v Everton, Kasami and Bent's return to form and Jol's track record. Yes I may be grasping at straws, but it only takes a spark for a fire to flourish. I think the problem is our formation(s), the unbalanced midfield and how it links with the defence and attack. Jol must realise things need to change. This fortnight of rest is the perfect chance for him to stop the rot and turn things around. Negativity and booing won't help (Jol is fully aware we've been playing poorly). Like yourself, I really hope Jol turns things around.
Ultimately, the question is this: Are we a good team that's playing poorly, or is there something wrong with the team? If you look at the results going back to Apr 13, we've collected just 8 points out of 39, the worst in the league. It's as if the spirit went out of the team the second we hit 40 points last year, and Jol and the boys haven't found a way yet to put that fire back now that the new season has started. The players didn't suddently forget how to play football, and with the exception of some good additions, the personnel haven't changed. So I suspect it's a dressing room problem.
And not to forget the goal against Everton Absolutely right ! Sorry Madness: because I remember the last 20 years; that revolving doors will get us nowhere; and frankly much as I do not like where we are it's too early to panic. Fulhamish! C O Y W
Very true. And besides which in reality we have just had a poor start to the season - this year it was our turn, a few years ago it was Everton and nobody wanted Moyes sacked. Everyone in the game thinks Fulham will be fine and that in itself is encouraging. Roy on MoTD on Saturday when asked said "oh yes, absolutely. Good club" as if it were a really silly question. Jol will sort things out. Yes back in August I looked at our fixtures and thought we might get 15 points from the first 10 games. That won't happen now, well, it could but it's unlikely, but even if we lose the next 3 there would still 90 points left to play for and no need to panic or sack the manager. We need investment in january but if we don't get it it won't be Jol's fault.
Madness. All these years supporting Fulham has made me the eternal optimist I am today. It's very Fulhamish.
And we've "been there, done that". Remember season 2004/05? Here's one press report from then: “Fulham manager Chris Coleman will use the break for World Cup qualifying to rally his beleaguered team and try to end his club's dismal start to the season A 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace on Monday left Fulham three points off the bottom with four defeats from eight Premiership matches. Chris Coleman has two weeks to prepare for a match against Liverpool at Craven Cottage and admits the break for internationals has come at the right time. "We need to take stock of things and regroup. We're losing a lot of players to the internationals but they'll know what we're doing on the training ground – I'll make sure of that," he said. "Some of my boys need to wake up and smell the coffee. We have to show the same hunger whether we're playing Manchester United or Crystal Palace. If we don't we're in for a long hard season and come March or April we'll still be in the bottom seven or eight teams. I don't want to be there. I've been there before and it's not a nice feeling." Our form to date in that year and this is so similar: 2004/05] DWLLLDWL 2013/14] WLLDLLW And there are an amazing number of coincidences. Apart from Crystal Palace on a Monday and the International break, among that run of games in 2004/05 we lost 3-0 at home to Arsenal and drew 1-1 with West Brom. Although 2004/05 continued to be a bit of a stuttery year, we finished comfortably in 13th. [Norwich, Crystal Palace and Southampton were the teams that went down]
Interesting stats Cottager. I also have a feeling of a déjà vu. I mean, when HAVENT we been in or near the relegation zone at some point in a season? My feeling generally is that things aren't going well but where the blame lies seems impossible to tell - it's not just one thing (specifically Jol) it's several, including old fashioned bad luck. I was very cheered on Saturday to see how much scoring and winning meant to the team and the fact they clearly understood how much it meant to the fans as well. As others have said, let's hope all concerned use the international break wisely and we kick on against palace.
Going back to April 1, it's WLDLLLLLWLLDLLW. That's 3-2-9 for a total of 11 out of a potential 45 points. Worst thing is, as soon as we hit 40 points last year, we went 0-1-6. It's as if the team said, "Ok, we're safe. Everyone stop working." Hopefully the break will give Jol and the boys time to sort this thing out.
As I recall - I haven't checked my facts on this - the poor run of results at the end of last season included a number of tough fixtures. With the exception of the home defeat to Reading, none of them were 'bad' results. They were all against teams who in the normal course of events you would expect to give us a tough game. Similarly, this season, most of the fixtures where we've dropped points haven't been shocking. Losing the Cardiff is the biggest exception. A draw at home to West Brom is disappointing, but not outrageous. Similarly an away defeat at Newcastle. The bigger problem is the performances. We continue to be a team who show flashes of what we're capable of but since Hangeland's dismissal against Sunderland last year - when we were flying - we have never fully got into our stride on a regular basis. That's a bigger issue than results and statistics. I also think that if Stek had stayed fit, we would have 4-6 more points and no one would be talking about Jol's job, even with stuttering performances. Well, no one apart from the ones who have been talking about his job for the last two years regardless of how we're doing.
One thing I've noticed is the standard of refs and their assistants. This season we have had mainly novices. And it shows. I wonder if they give newbees Fulham as they think it is out of the limelight, the club don't tend to have a go at wrong decisions, and the press don't take up any points as they would if it were a top club get offsides and penalties turned down.
