I didn't get to see any of the match, but I regretfully saw the score. At least we scored. What was our performance like, people who saw the game? I saw Kasami and Dembele started, how did they get on? If anything, at least we're not Arsenal. Ouch...
Newcastle fan here. Was a pretty even game, you were better in the first 30 mins but we started to get a foothold after then. First goal was just unlucky for Schwarzer, and the second was a good move by us. Your first came from a free kick after a lot of late pressure. Good luck for the season
Thanks, Smudger. I just heard a Newcastle fan on 606 saying that without Krul we could have easily won it. Mind you, he also said that we were very poor. Good luck to you, too.
A better performance than the Wolves game. Created about 8 or 9 good chances in the 2nd half, with about 7 shots on target. Very good saves from Murphy, Sidwell, Baird and Dempsey and a Hughes header cleared off the line, gave the Newcastle keeper Krul my MOM. A pretty even first half, there was go passing from Fulham but no end product. The second half was better, good attacking moves and possesion, but the defending was poor for their goals. Their first came from a throw in that a Newcastle player ran onto it and hit a 25 yard shot, it dipped to near ground level, but think Schwarzer could have done better, as he only pushed the shot onto the crossbar and it fell kindly for Best to score. Newcastle then got a second when a cross from the left just outside the area was not cut out first by Briggs and then by Hughes and Best scored again with Schwarzer slow in getting down. Newcastle were giving a lot of freekicks away and Fulhams goal came from a Murphy freekick floated into the area for Dempsey to flick a looping header over Krul, if only that had come 30 minutes before.
It was an improvement. It was a better team performance, it created more scoring opportunities than in previous games. Dembele had one of those games, where he held onto the ball sometimes too much. He reminds me of Steed when he first came into the team, running around in a figure of eight getting nowhere fast. But he, Dempsey and Kasami did get fouled a lot. Kasami was subbed by Johnson with 15 mins to go, he is still not up to the pace of the Premier. Thought Sidwell and Murphy did well, along with Duff, who could have had a couple of goals
I found a web cast of the game, and I think Fulham were at least even with Newcastle. Krul made some very good saves and Fulham were poor at the back, particularly on the second goal. Woeful, really. It was certainly a better performance, though, but we're far from where we should be.
Yes, our defence was poor, by our standards. Krul did very well for them, as did Leon Best (who I've never rated - but he was sharp and took his chances very well). Thought Kasami was lightweight today, mind they were a bit rough/niggly with tackles Tiote made 7 or 8 fouls and was warned by the ref twice, but he got away with it.
Lets not get to exited,to days team and the last 2 matches were where we should have been picking up points, we still lost,why ? no one up front to tuck them away & a poor defended right flank, I must agree with some other comments, Andy Johnson is not Premiership standard.,heaven help us if we don`t quickly rectify, before we come up against the big guns.
I watched the highlights on MOTD2 last night, and I've just checked the stats on the BBC website. From both of those it looks as if we did all right. The first goal looked like Schwarzer should have done better, and the second was a good control and finish from Best. I agree with the comments above about Krul, who made a number of very nice saves. So, a draw and two defeats. Against Villa we looked the better team (marginally) and probably deserved the win. We'd have had it, too, if it wasn't for Shay Given. Against Newcastle we could easily have won if it wasn't for Tim Krul. It sounds as if we are playing better than some are giving us credit for. As with last season, we've been hit by injury to Zamora and the absence of anyone who can adequately fill his place in the team. It's too soon to panic. If Senderos had been playing yesterday, this board would have been swamped with people blaming him for the second goal, when Best turned past Hughes as if he wasn't there. I like Hughes, but have remained unconvinced by all the people proclaiming that his absence from the centre is the reason for our defensive failings. Well, he was back, and we were no better (or worse). Hughes and Senderos are at about the same level defensively, but Senderos has better distribution. The team is better set up and better balanced when Senderos plays with Hangeland. People have rightly been saying that Hughes' distribution isn't good enough for him to be our right back, but that isn't an argument for him to play in the centre, it's an argument for Baird (or someone else) to play at right back! I still think that we are marginally better with Senderos. That said, we're not losing the points we are losing because of either Hughes or Senderos. They are both good and whichever one partners Hangeland, it makes marginal difference. We are losing because when we are up against in form keepers, we fail to convert our chances and score goals at key stages of the match. Surprise surprise, we need a goalscorer and an alternative target man to Bobby so that the shape of the team doesn't get disrupted in his absence. And that's what we've all been saying for the last two months. Let's hope that the next couple of days brings some good news.
I agree, Captain, it's not time for panic. We could have won Sunday and we could have beaten Villa as well, but I think the Europa Cup business has thrown off our preparation for the season. Personnel wise, I think Jol's settled on Baird as the RB for now, who's an improvement over Hughes, who didn't have his best game on Sunday. Now we have nearly two weeks off before the next game, which should give Jol, the team and any new personnel an opportunity to settle in and figure out the Fulham system. We still need a first-class striker, and a right back, but my hope is that Jol will look past some of the obvious choices and find some pace. I think we're too easy to defend right now; we need some pace to spread the defense and create space.
I think everyone has summed it up quite well here. Much better performance than the Wolves game and we could have got something from this game. First 20 minutes we had all the pocession but could not convert it into any good chances. Was sitting thinking "where an earth are we going to score a goal from" I like Dembele but I wish he'd keep going and try a few shots. Second half we did get chances and but for their goalie we would have. As you say, no time to panic, if we'd have had BZ I am confident we would have won this game. ... at least we're not Arsenal - oh dear
I watched most of it on Sky's Match Choice. Overall, the performance was not bad - we created chances and could have converted some of them - Their goalkeeper did well. Pity that Best got the better of Hughes for the critical goal. Dembele looked ok but sometimes does need to look to offload quicker. 3 points against Blackburn still looks on. Some buys to boost the squad before the deadline would help of course.
I didn't see the game but summarising what everyone here has said and what I have read elsewhere I think there are quite a lot of positives:- 1. We're getting better 2. We've scored a premiership goal! 3. As stated in another thread we always start slowly and this year was going to be slower than usual with a new manager 4. The transfer window's not closed yet 5. We're not Arsenal and need not hide our faces at work tomorrow Yes, there are negatives too but I think the closing of the window will (obviously) crystalise the team so Jol will know exactly what he has to work with and the 2 week break has come at a good time for us. The Blackburn match is eminently winnable and will be the start of the good results which I'm sure are going to come our way.
Trouble is he won't have them together as a squad for mor than a couple of days. Jol himself bemoans this - the final paragraph in this link http://http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2011/August/JolNewcastleReaction.aspx Since things kicked off in June, as I commented in another thread, there has been so much 'dead time' because of travelling and the previous international break. I really believe this, at least in part, is the cause of our disjointed perfomances so far. Jol just hasn't had adequate quality time with his full 1st team squad to "practice" his ideas/system. Roy's mantra was practice, practice and then more practice until it became second nature. And it took him a fair while before that paid off in 'live' games. Jol hasn't had any real time on the training field. Unfortunately he aint gonna get for some time yet.
You're right, Cottager. I hate international play. I follow the US and England. I don't know which is more disappointing. But the bulk of the team will still be there and the few stars who will be away already know their roles. I just re-watched the Newcastle game I'd recorded on Sky. I was surprise how ineffective Dembele was. It seems his first impulse when he gets the ball is to slow down, spin, spin again, find a few defenders to spin around amongst, then pass the ball back to Hangeland. I'm starting to lose my patience with him.
