That was shocking. An embarrassing performance and without a doubt one of our worst ever Premier League displays. A few things I don't understand..... (i) After such a promising and upbeat performance against Palace, why didn't we bring any of that positivity into tonight's game? Surely the team would have been buzzing and chomping at the bit to get on the pitch again and prove the early season doubters wrong? (ii) Why was there NO pressing from our forward players? Southampton could knock the ball around in the own half to their hearts content and were not challenged until they reached the halfway line! (iii) I know he is a class above and an unbelievable player, (when he wants to be), but why did Berbatov stay on the pitch as long as he did and why was he captain? He was awful tonight and seemed to demotivate rather than inspire the rest of the team with his moaning, arm flailing and lazy attitude. I'm not part of the 'JOL OUT' brigade but I think some questions need to be asked of him. I was at the Stoke game a few weeks back and thought we were lucky to be honest. Stoke were better for most of the game and should have scored long before Bent did and the win against Palace was against a p**s poor side and the bare minimum required. I don't want to be negative but I just don't understand what happened tonight. There was nothing positive to take in my opinion.
Rd, it was truly a frustrating game. I only saw the first half but once again we reverted to playing deep and creating very little. 1. I think the team probably were chomping a the bit but credit where it is due, Southampton pressed us very high the pitch and controlled the game from the very start. Dare I say it but the age in our team showed against much younger players. Both clyne and shaw were infinitely quicker than Ruiz and Kasami ( 2of our younger players ). 2. This was the most annoying part of the game for me. Bent offers nothing to our team. We all moan about berbatov taking it slow sometimes but bent takes it to a whole new level, his impact again was non existent. Berbatov was embarrassing in his expecting free kicks all the time and his marking for their first goal was atrocious. Parker specifically said to him to stay on lambert and he paid no attention. Once again, I felt for Ruiz. When he got the ball he wanted to play forward but no one was available. He was trying to get players to push up and close down but berbatov and bent would not budge. I would love Jol to Dutch both and try with kaka on the left Kasami behind rodders and Ruiz on the right. 3. Berbatov can be a wonderful player as you said but in the mood he was in tonight he can be dreadful. Spent too much time feeling sorry for himself when he needed to be inspiring others. He is not captain material. Like you I do not want to see Jol go. I think he has to get over this notion that berbatov is integral to our team and he should definitely not make him captain. I get the feeling that some players are just waiting for someone to come in and give us some outlet higher up the pitch, until that happens we are going to struggle big time.
Not wanting to be a prophet of doom,but with this team devoid of any technical ideas or managerial tactics,i cannot see us getting points untill we meet Norwich in early December. when we could be looking upwards,league wise. This performance was pathetic with 2 lazy B.....ds Ruiz and Berbatov, and 1 Senderos totally clueless, I know Jol is still a favourite with the chairman and Ally Mac but many more results like this and they will loose patience,lets hope its not to late, and we return to winning ways. quote Jol 1 month ago, "this is my team" something that may come back to haunt him ?.
The question is why did we expect anything different. Nothing has been sorted out. No system. To the laziness of Berbatov and Ruiz we have added the lazy Bent... Jol is too stubborn to see his mistakes and try something else...
Got to admit to being genuinely concerned about the performances and what lies ahead. Unless the players and management make some serious improvements we could in real trouble come Christmas.
My worst away game ever, including the shambles last Xmas at Liverpool. MJ talks about the risk of playing Berbatov, Ruiz and Bent - but 1 just from 3 is all that is needed - none of them were effective. As for the rest, I have to agree with Froggy and RD. I'm not in the Jol-Out Brigade, and credit him for trying 3 at the back, but we had no creativity! Should have brought Kaca on on earlier. All credit to Southampton - they are a good team, playing well in excess of the individuals on the pitch (that reminds me......). C O Y W
Agree It was like playing with 9 men. I seriously didn't realise Ruiz was playing in the first half, and I only noticed Berbatov because of his arm waving. On top of that Senderos returned back to being bullied and out jumped nearly every time. Parker was just swamped in midfield with little help from Sidwell. The only players I'd give some credit too are Stekelenberg and Amorebieta. The rest turned in the worst performance as a Team!!! I've seen since the Loftarse Road game.
Remembering our game last season I thought Ruiz was excellent in the middle of the park but looked a little lost out wide. Our centre backs have not had an easier game this season and we've played West Ham! Bent was the worst away striker i've seen at St Marys since Enoch Showunmi. How Senderos is still a premier league player is mystery, but you all know the negatives. What I don't understand is you have a great academy but none of them get played regularly and surely they'd put in more effort than the front two today.
I don't know why people are surprised by this result and in particular, performance. The fact is we have been lucky to get any positive results this season. Win vs Everton - Everton destroyed us in the first half and should have been out of sight, second half was even. Win vs Sunderland - Battered for 90 minutes, great saves from Stek, and a goal with our only meaningful effort Win vs Stoke - See Sunderland ^ Win vs Palace - This is an interesting one. If you believe all you read you would think this was the game where we turned the corner. The fact is, before an absolute worldy from Kasami, we were never in the game. Palace's heads dropped after dominating the first half, only to be behind to two wonder goals. We have played 2 sets of 45 minutes to the standard I would expect from us. And to still be in the game at those points where we started knocking the ball around was fortunate. Not a lot wrong with team selection yesterday, mostly kept a winning team which I don't blame him for doing, but there was absolutely no motivation given to the players. You could see Utd yesterday 2-1 down against Stoke, Moyes's job on the line, but the players fought for him and turned the game around. You couldn't see the players doing that for Jol at 1-0 down. 1 shot all game against Southampton, who are on a cracking run and no offence meant, but they ain't Barcelona, is awful. Everton were on a good run when we beat them...
No surprise for me - had expected them to rip us apart. We haven't got a team, so when we come up against a well drilled unit we just crumble. Watched as much as I could before deciding there was no justification for inflicting such harsh punishment on myself. Can't bring myself to offer any detailed analysis - we were just crap. Superbly crap. 67% possession to S'ton - 20 shots to our 2. 0 on target for Fulham, according to BBC. How many shots on target have we managed all season? This from a team expected to try outscore the opponent. How the press can defend what Jol is doing I don't know, completely reckless, self-indulgent and a slight to the club he is supposed to be leading.
Usually I say we start with 10 men when Berba and Ruiz start and end up with 9 as their performance rarely improves unless we get a goal first or they are in the mood. Don't take me wrong they are both good players but one reason or the other they are not performing. I agree that you keep a winning team together if you are playing similar opponents. Saints and Palace have nothing in common at the moment. This game needed to field a strong midfield to protect the back four with attacking options to use your FB. The suggestion of using Sidwell, Parker and Zverotic was exactly that.... Then you can afford to have 2 lazy players up front but not 3. This game with 3 in the midfield and Ruiz/Kasami/Berba in the middle behind Berba/Bent would have given us a chance. It would have allowed Riether and Richardson to move up with the midfielder providing the cover. The obvious: - Berba will never track back when he looses the ball. Rare occassions. As for marking? Or is it because Parker told him to? - Ruiz never shifts to a high gear. Defending is the same as a lamppost. Keeping him for corners I suppose... But that involves effort to win them in the first place. - To the mix Bent who is another that things he is bigger than the team he is playing for. He scored a goal and wants to be considered for England. Did he watch Rickie Lambert yesterday to take a lesson? Anyway, Jol doesn't inspire me any more. This is the second season now and his team. But his arrogance and stubborness is beyond me. I am worried as we have a tough schedule in November.
That's an understatement. Southampton, as good as they're playing, were our best chance at 3 points over the next few games. Man Utd, Liverpool and Swansea up next (not counting the cup game) Come Xmas we will be firmly placed in the bottom three.
Definatly in the bottom 3 by X mas if the team selection and coaching is left to a man who is never wrong.
It seems lots of the players are at Wembley watching the Jaguars NFL game. After that dire display, surely they should be on the training ground or conducting an emergency post-mortem of what went wrong? Personally, I'd be embarrassed to show my face in public.
That was shocking, but I had a feeling we've have that kind of game. We were extremely lucky, taking three points from Stoke in that dreadful performance. Our win against QPR was deserved, but QPR's a very poor team, and their wretched performance created the illusion we're better than we are. I think Fulham has serious problems right now, and I'm not sure what will turn us around. Senderos was diabolical Saturday, but Sky's post-game analysis focused attention, rightly, on Berbatov's laziness and his little on-field tantrums when he didn't get the ball. Frankly, I think the best thing for the team right now would be for Berbatov to suffer a nice hamstring injury, anything really, to get his prima donna a$$ off the pitch and out of the dressing room. He's got amazing talent, but he also seems to bring a corrosive effect to the team.
Would give an eye tooth to have been in the dressing room at half time on Saturday. I wonder how Jol explained to Riether that he was the one coming off?
Jol cannot accept criticism,and is never wrong ,so if he signed a one legged arse kicker he would be in the team week in week out ( mind you come to think of it he is playing a couple at the moment).
