[Archived] Fulham Preview

[modes98]

Shame about the booing though.

I know that you guys really didn't like douif but booing him was over the top

You really need to keep hold of Hangeland, he was very good.

[ThatRabbitsDynamite]

The fans can be hero's also. The question has been raised during this relegation struggle in a few threads on this messageboard as to what needs to come first to get things turned around. The players working hard to win or the fans support to help buoy the players in the fight? As long as the turned occurs it doesn't matter. I don't know what happened first but, it sure appears that the turn around is in motion and moving with conviction.

Hats off to the fans who went to Craven Cottage and to ALL Rovers fans. Lets keep the support coming whenever and wherever possible.

[4ever&ever]

Had a look on a Fulham messageboard and they seem to be very unhappy that there was booing during a minutes silence.

To be honest I don't even know who the player was or that there was going to be a minutes silence so I expect the same could be said for our fans last night especially if they arrived late.

I watched the game on sky after I'd finished work, didn't check the score so it was like watching it live and I was celebrating our winner after midnight lol. Our ''supporters'' sounded excellent and it looked as though the players appreciated this when they scored and at the end.

[sambo]

Rovers fans booed?

[bubblerrovers]

Had a look on a Fulham messageboard and they seem to be very unhappy that there was booing during a minutes silence.

To be honest I don't even know who the player was or that there was going to be a minutes silence so I expect the same could be said for our fans last night especially if they arrived late.

I watched the game on sky after I'd finished work, didn't check the score so it was like watching it live and I was celebrating our winner after midnight lol. Our ''supporters'' sounded excellent and it looked as though the players appreciated this when they scored and at the end.

There was one bloke who started it then 2 other blokes who where coming up the stairs getting too there seats who prob didn't even know about it, 99.9 of fans observed it perfectly

[4ever&ever]

Thought that would have been the case, wouldn't expect our fans to be disrespectful to another clubs deceased ex-player.

They took real acception to it though according to their forums, apologies ffan if this was the case.

[ffan]

To be honest I don't even know who the player was or that there was going to be a minutes silence so I expect the same could be said for our fans last night especially if they arrived late.

Eddie Lowe. 2nd most capped player for Fulham. Great player, very under rated.

When I say booing, it wasn't as if every single Rover fan was screaming wildly and jumping up and down on their seats shouting abuse, it was a couple of lads who were still coming up the stairs(Probably hammered lol), other than that your support was excellent. Well done.

Modes - "You really need to keep hold of Hangeland, he was very good. " He sure is. Him Schwazer and Dempsey were our only good players. Finally thanks for putting us back in the relegation battle, much appreciated. We will win at Bolton though and everything will be fine.

[OscarRaven]

Why was last night so important, because thats the first time since Sam took over that we have been out of the danger zone.

Let me explain: danger zone = games played x 1.052631579 (assumes 40pts is the magic number)

So for 28 played anyone below 29.47 pts is in the danger zone any one above it should be safe.

[Balwer]

They weren't booing ffan, they were late to their seats and they were singing, don't worry the rest of us turned around and shut them up. I don't think they knew what was going on to be fair.

Oh and will add my admiration about Haangeland, he was great. Being an Australian I already know how good you guys have it with Schwarzer.

[T4E]

Why was last night so important, because thats the first time since Sam took over that we have been out of the danger zone.

Let me explain: danger zone = games played x 1.052631579 (assumes 40pts is the magic number)

So for 28 played anyone below 29.47 pts is in the danger zone any one above it should be safe.

Very interesting calculation. Keep us posted for the rest of the season!

[roversmum]

They definitely were not booing, they were still arriving and didn't know what was going on. It happened to me a year or two ago, I walked into a government department talking not realising there was a minute's silence on, nobody bothered to tell me and I wondered what the dickens was going on, very embarrassing.

Great night, one of the best I have had for a long time. The players streamed over to the supporters at the end of the match clearly delighted and we were treated to an unexpected display of the Admiral's war chest

[ABBEY]

proud to blue again

[1864roverite]

So then what do we make of Fulham, London and the Rovers performance ?

Let me tell you this, each and every Rovers fan in that ground (except the several moronic numpties arguing after 5 minutes) can be proud to a man, a women and children. Immense support we had and the atmosphere was simply great.

We all know about London just being a smog type hole, full of cockney geezers, immigrants, criminals and big time charlies as well as it being the capital of this once great country. We are all aware of the difference between them down saarf and us up North, where we all live in the land of reality.

Fulham is a place for beautiful people. Its clean, tidy, smart. The locals are kind hearted, friendly and will always have a good word to say. Its a place that doesnt have the achitypal southerner.

Last night, Fulham had a mini invasion of Northern type hordes from Blackburn (and all over) and beleive me it was a pleasure to have gone there so good was the welcome.

A few pints, some tea and we made to the ground. The Cottage is a nice setting and the Rovers fans had the pleasure of the mixed supporters zone, and beleive me, Fulham should be praised to the highest for this footballing gesture. it really does work, especially when you have decent supporters going to watch football. Thank you Mr Al Fyad for that little footballing gesture.

I missed the first 2 minutes as I made my way from the pub to the ground eating the most wonderful chips - anyone else who ate at that chippy on the main street will tell you they were great. If anyone actually managed to eat the large fish, good on you it must have filled a bloody big gap in ones stomach.

So, on getting in the ground we were 1-0 down and our own fans (morons) were arguing amongst each other. They had either had too much to drink or were just plain old thick.

Anyhow, back to the 1st half, Rovers huffed and puffed and the nearest we came to scoring was a shot from warnock that hit the post and bounced out. After that we were grateful for a Fulham miss from 2 yrds out and thankful that our 4-5-1 formation hadnt crumbled.

2nd half and very quickly and rightly so, we took off Andrews and reverted to a 4-4-2 formation. Instant dividends as Rovers took control of the game. We made the running, were controlled, passed and had chances. Swchwarzer had the game in his hands as he saved twice from Warnock piledrivers. Even Oojier had a go.

Pressure took its toll on Fulham, who had lost the composure shown in the first 45, and Samba sent a header across the goal that was sent into the net by Diouf as Benni stood by in case of a mishap. 1-1 game most definately on.

The backing given by the Rovers supporters seemed to engulf the team and lo and behold the winner duly arrived. Hangeland, the 7ft beanpole had dominated in defence but he was pulled out of position, by luck or crook, which left Roberts alone defended by a young lad. In one full turn he smashed the ball home and sent the travelling fans into heaven. 2-1 and a matter of minutes to go.

Fulham tried to regain their composure but Rovers held out despite a last minute save from Robinson. And I must point out, it was the ONLY thing he had to do int eh second 45 such was Rovers dominence of their own half..

As Styles blew up, Rovers jumped up the league and at the same time brought Fulham bang into the battle to avoid the drop. It also ensured that Bolton, Hull, Sunderland and Spurs had still got an avid interest in what is happening behind them as Rovers are now within touching distance of the euro chasing Man City !

Now that really does sound stupid considering the heartache and complaining we have done so far this season, and especially after Ince had almost brought this clubs to its knees singlehandedly !!

For me, it made the trip worthwhile despite the long coach trip. Oh yes, thank you number 2 to Mr Fyad and Fulham for the kind gesture.

So, what do we make of the last 3 games and a haul of 7 points ?

This football lark is most definately not good for your health however, and despite claims by persons such as jim mkii and waggy, Sam has Rovers playing some good football. I just cant work out why the team cannot play it for the whole 90 minutes, or indeed as in this game, the first 10 minutes !

The joy on the players faces, the work ethic and the team effort was there to see. Sams reaction said it all. Rovers do have some precarious talent, all it needs is a wizard to use it correctly and, despite some views, Sam has evidenced so far that he does have that midas touch.

Rovers now find themselves only needing 9 more points to achieve survival. 38 points is the maximum that will be required to stay up such is the perilous positions of the other clubs around the relegation zone as well as the fact that most of the teams have either to play each other or the big 5.

I would imagine the noises eminating out of Portsmouth and Newcastle were as loud as the Rovers fans leaving Fulham last night.

One things for sure, Boro and WBA face a mountain to climb, Stoke, Newcastle and Portsmouth must be trembling whilst us at Rovers, clearly not yet out of danger, seem to be pulling together in the right direction and at the right time.

For me, we can write off the Arsenal game, or dare we dream of getting a point ? The matches that matter are Wham and Spurs. Take all 6 points, and that is a big big ask at this stage of the season, and we survive whilst at the same time cement the group below us firmly in those bottom slots.

The journey home North was awful. We arrived back home at Ewood short of 0400. The 3 points made it well worth the trip.

Tally ho.......

[Lathund]

Apparently the first time we've won this season after conceding the first goal. Our previous record was two draws from 12 games!

[John]

What an evening!

Brilliant support! Because of the dramatic comeback, one of the best and most enjoyable matches I have been to in recent years.

[ffan]

Free highlights from the Fulham website.

http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArti...Highlights.aspx

[ebenrocks]

Im really suprised that people thoght Warnock had a brilliant game.

I thought his possession was terrible and his passes were all over the place. I'll agree that he did really well to get his shots off, and he really deserved a goal from them, but his general play was very below the usual Warnock standard.

He did make a good tackle though to block...was it Johnson?

The booing was all a mistake i think, other fans were quick to tell them to shut up. Unfortunatly i think the culprits were drunk so it took a while to get the point through.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

We all know about London just being a smog type hole, full of cockney geezers, immigrants, criminals and big time charlies as well...

That's just on the pitch. It's an even bigger mess off the pitch....

You're right to indicate that compared with the area surrounding some London grounds, such as Upton Park or White Hart Lane - where it's a real grimy crime-ridden multi-cultural hellhole in that part of North London - the area surrounding Craven Cottage, by the River Thames, is quite picturesque, scenic and pleasant.

I regret the fact that I didn't go to the match last night. It was 50/50 last week whether I would go to the game or not, but I decided to stay at home. I missed a massively important victory, probably the most important away win we've had in London since beating Fulham 4-3 in a topsy-turvy tension-filled match at the Cottage in April 2004, when we were knee-deep in a desperate relegation battle under Graeme Souness.

The hugely important 3 points last night have now given Rovers a fairly good chance of survival, though Sam Allardyce and the players can't afford any complacency at all to slip in, because the team are still in a big battle with points to be won. Looking at the overall relegation picture, I think it's going to be a case of two from seven now. West Brom look highly likely to go down. They have a mountain to climb to survive, especially with their woeful defence.

I noted after their 1-3 home defeat to Arsenal last week that Tony Mowbray admitted that defensively his team are a shambles, after he had previously criticised Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson for pointing out his team's defensive errors on Match of the Day. Perhaps reality has now set in for Mr Mowbray and if he had realised a bit earlier in the season that his defence was a complete shambles, maybe his team might have gained a few more points by now.

I'd be very surprised if West Brom stayed up. So that leaves two places from seven in my opinion - the teams involved being Middlesbrough, Portsmouth, Stoke, Newcastle, Rovers, Hull and Sunderland.

I've always felt throughout the season that it's extremely unlikely that Spurs will be relegated. They have a number of quality players which will get them out of trouble. Bolton, on 33 points, probably only need two more wins from their remaining 10 matches to survive, which they should be able to manage. So I think it's going to be a case of two teams from seven to join West Brom in the Championship next season.

Watching the highlights of last night's match, the Hungarian Zoltan Gera had a gilt-edged chance with a header in the first half, which would have put Fulham 2-0 up. Coming back from 2-0 down at half-time would have been tough, but thankfully Gera's header went over the bar and that's the sort of luck we desperately need in our situation.

A video link to an interview with a happy Sam Allardyce, smiling now after previously looking somewhat troubled and concerned in recent weeks, is at the link below after the advert:

http://www.skysports.com/video/clips/0,237...2&ssvPage=2

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

And what about that nasty, horrible, baby snatching Muslim, eh, AESF?

[AndyC]

So then what do we make of Fulham, London and the Rovers performance ?

Let me tell you this, each and every Rovers fan in that ground (except the several moronic numpties arguing after 5 minutes) can be proud to a man, a women and children. Immense support we had and the atmosphere was simply great.

We all know about London just being a smog type hole, full of cockney geezers, immigrants, criminals and big time charlies as well as it being the capital of this once great country. We are all aware of the difference between them down saarf and us up North, where we all live in the land of reality.

Fulham is a place for beautiful people. Its clean, tidy, smart. The locals are kind hearted, friendly and will always have a good word to say. Its a place that doesnt have the achitypal southerner.

Last night, Fulham had a mini invasion of Northern type hordes from Blackburn (and all over) and beleive me it was a pleasure to have gone there so good was the welcome.

A few pints, some tea and we made to the ground. The Cottage is a nice setting and the Rovers fans had the pleasure of the mixed supporters zone, and beleive me, Fulham should be praised to the highest for this footballing gesture. it really does work, especially when you have decent supporters going to watch football. Thank you Mr Al Fyad for that little footballing gesture.

I missed the first 2 minutes as I made my way from the pub to the ground eating the most wonderful chips - anyone else who ate at that chippy on the main street will tell you they were great. If anyone actually managed to eat the large fish, good on you it must have filled a bloody big gap in ones stomach.

So, on getting in the ground we were 1-0 down and our own fans (morons) were arguing amongst each other. They had either had too much to drink or were just plain old thick.

Anyhow, back to the 1st half, Rovers huffed and puffed and the nearest we came to scoring was a shot from warnock that hit the post and bounced out. After that we were grateful for a Fulham miss from 2 yrds out and thankful that our 4-5-1 formation hadnt crumbled.

2nd half and very quickly and rightly so, we took off Andrews and reverted to a 4-4-2 formation. Instant dividends as Rovers took control of the game. We made the running, were controlled, passed and had chances. Swchwarzer had the game in his hands as he saved twice from Warnock piledrivers. Even Oojier had a go.

Pressure took its toll on Fulham, who had lost the composure shown in the first 45, and Samba sent a header across the goal that was sent into the net by Diouf as Benni stood by in case of a mishap. 1-1 game most definately on.

The backing given by the Rovers supporters seemed to engulf the team and lo and behold the winner duly arrived. Hangeland, the 7ft beanpole had dominated in defence but he was pulled out of position, by luck or crook, which left Roberts alone defended by a young lad. In one full turn he smashed the ball home and sent the travelling fans into heaven. 2-1 and a matter of minutes to go.

Fulham tried to regain their composure but Rovers held out despite a last minute save from Robinson. And I must point out, it was the ONLY thing he had to do int eh second 45 such was Rovers dominence of their own half..

As Styles blew up, Rovers jumped up the league and at the same time brought Fulham bang into the battle to avoid the drop. It also ensured that Bolton, Hull, Sunderland and Spurs had still got an avid interest in what is happening behind them as Rovers are now within touching distance of the euro chasing Man City !

Now that really does sound stupid considering the heartache and complaining we have done so far this season, and especially after Ince had almost brought this clubs to its knees singlehandedly !!

For me, it made the trip worthwhile despite the long coach trip. Oh yes, thank you number 2 to Mr Fyad and Fulham for the kind gesture.

So, what do we make of the last 3 games and a haul of 7 points ?

This football lark is most definately not good for your health however, and despite claims by persons such as jim mkii and waggy, Sam has Rovers playing some good football. I just cant work out why the team cannot play it for the whole 90 minutes, or indeed as in this game, the first 10 minutes !

The joy on the players faces, the work ethic and the team effort was there to see. Sams reaction said it all. Rovers do have some precarious talent, all it needs is a wizard to use it correctly and, despite some views, Sam has evidenced so far that he does have that midas touch.

Rovers now find themselves only needing 9 more points to achieve survival. 38 points is the maximum that will be required to stay up such is the perilous positions of the other clubs around the relegation zone as well as the fact that most of the teams have either to play each other or the big 5.

I would imagine the noises eminating out of Portsmouth and Newcastle were as loud as the Rovers fans leaving Fulham last night.

One things for sure, Boro and WBA face a mountain to climb, Stoke, Newcastle and Portsmouth must be trembling whilst us at Rovers, clearly not yet out of danger, seem to be pulling together in the right direction and at the right time.

For me, we can write off the Arsenal game, or dare we dream of getting a point ? The matches that matter are Wham and Spurs. Take all 6 points, and that is a big big ask at this stage of the season, and we survive whilst at the same time cement the group below us firmly in those bottom slots.

The journey home North was awful. We arrived back home at Ewood short of 0400. The 3 points made it well worth the trip.

Tally ho.......

good report!

the only downside with living here in fulham are the house prices!

[AggyBlue]

good report!

Apart from the fact he called us all 'morons'

and our own fans (morons)

[1864roverite]

Only the selected few morons Aggy, only the selected few

[Stonesrick]

I have checked through various pages but there doesn't seem to be any mention, unless I've missed it of the legend that is Simon Garner making an appearance at the 8 Bells pub at Putney Bridge. It was great to see him posing for photos with all the Rovers supporters and complimented by a chorus of, "There's only one Simon Garner" etc.

This just topped off an extremely brilliant evening down by the Thames.

[only2garners]

Im really suprised that people thoght Warnock had a brilliant game.

I thought his possession was terrible and his passes were all over the place. I'll agree that he did really well to get his shots off, and he really deserved a goal from them, but his general play was very below the usual Warnock standard.

He did make a good tackle though to block...was it Johnson?

It was a curate's egg of a performance and for anyone not at the game it probably looked like he had a wonderful performance - a goal saving challenge and three excellent shots. But you're right - hid distribution in midfield is dreadful. But for some fans he can do no wrong and Andrews, who can pass a ball, is the devil incarnate.

Just to counterbalance this love affair with Fulham, we had, in the space of three minutes, some seriously indifferent treatment from officials outside the ground. First, my son asked a policeman where we should go to the away end to be told "I've no idea mate" and then turn away. I then wnet to buy a programme, dropped some of my change, saw the guy selling the programme pick up 20p and then completely blank me when I tried to give him £3.30. Then my lad tried to walk between two police horses to be given a string of abuse by the policewoman on one of the horses about how dangerous it was. Admittedly it would have been a bad idea but there are ways of getting people not to do daft things and that wasn't one of them. Having said that, apart from that three minutes, it was an excellent night all round, both in the ground and in the 8 Bells before and after the game.

The legend that is Simon Garner was in the pub and before the game said that he had never lost either as a player or fan at Craven Cottage and predicted a Rovers win 2-1.

I was out of the country for three weeks recently and so missed the three defeats to Villa, Man Utd and Coventry so have yet to see Rovers lose under Allardyce. I'm willing to accept offers to go to Arsenal....

[Hughesy]

Sam praises away fans

Official Site