[Archived] Fulham Preview

[DE.]

So the fact that we were playing away at a tough place like Fulham, lost our best defender, arguably our best player this season (Dunn), our goal scorer (Rochina), our most creative player (Junior) and came away with a point is not a positive?

C'mon Imy we lost Hoilett 2 minutes from the end, we looked fine without Samba and how Dunn is our best player this season I don't know. We've played 4 games and he's gotten injured in two of them.

You're technically right - a draw at Fulham is a good result. However, considering our terrible start to the season we really needed more. Not to mention the performance itself was stunningly bad. If we continue to play like that we go down.

[ABBEY]

So the fact that we were playing away at a tough place like Fulham, lost our best defender, arguably our best player this season (Dunn), our goal scorer (Rochina), our most creative player (Junior) and came away with a point is not a positive?

1 point on the board whopppppy dooooo

[Waggy76]

I thought we were worthy of a point today ...Fulham were very poor ,the result paints over the cracks unfortunately..

The injuries didn't help our cause , but the thing that concerns me the most is , we are not fit enough , we were dead on our feet with 20 mins left .Luckily Fulham , were pitiful and never realy looked scoring ...

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Just returned from the game, observations:

- In the first half we posed a modest threat, in the second it looked like a premiership team against a championship team.

- Why on earth were we drilling high balls to Goodwillie all match? Hangeland barely broke into a sweat dealing with them. Our ball retention was absolutely terrible having said that so I guess it gave the Fulham defence something to think about. There wasn't a plan A never mind a plan B.

- Jason Lowe?? Cannot get my head around that for a minute. Yakubu or Vukcevic would have caused far more problems. We had no outlets to attack whenever we managed to get the ball. Goodwillie couldn't run and Hoilett always had to beat the entire Fulham backline in order to get a shot.

- Dann looks like a very solid signing, made one mistake but kept us alive in the second half. Dunn looked handy in the first half, without him we couldn't hold onto the ball at all in the second. Rochina had some very nice touches and obviously it was a cracking strike. Outshone Formica today. Hoilett was bright and Robbo made several top saves.

Overall, we lack cohesion and organisation. We know that these players can play at this level and its clear that they lack any real idea of how to play in the system Kean is trying employ.

You can point to the injuries today for the performance but eventually you have to look at the facts. Kean's been given the benefit of the doubt too often, today we looked easily second best to Fulham and that was as much to do with not having a gameplan as it was losing Samba and Dunn to injury. Our fullbacks were weak links and Fulham seemingly had acres of space and time on the ball in midfield.

In another season I would have left the ground with a sense of relief, but today it was just concern. Fundamentally, the players are good enough but they lack decent management. Change is desperately needed.

[imy9]

We played a lot better vs Everton and came away with no points and no goals, today we played rubbish for most of the game and ended up with a result.

We got a point out of it against a Fulham side with an excellent home record, so I am not ready to slash my wrists just yet

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

''the result paints over the cracks unfortunately..''

Really Waggy?

[imy9]

C'mon Imy we lost Hoilett 2 minutes from the end, we looked fine without Samba and how Dunn is our best player this season I don't know. We've played 4 games and he's gotten injured in two of them.

You're technically right - a draw at Fulham is a good result. However, considering our terrible start to the season we really needed more. Not to mention the performance itself was stunningly bad. If we continue to play like that we go down.

We lost a leader on the pitch and someone who was a threat in both penalty boxes.

Dunn has played very well so far this season IMO- I dont think it is a coincidence that we lost whatever shape we had when he went off.

We played Olsson at left back and Kean said that ideally he would not have played him due to a injury.

You also failed to mention our goal scorer being taken off due to injury too.

I would loved to have seen Yak on but clearly the injuries meant that he couldnt come on.

[Balwer]

Exactly. Thanks for the ruling by the way Balwer.

no probs, wasn't too hard to find on google. I have never understood the rule myself and clearly a lot of the 'experts' on TV don't either!

[RibbleValleyRover]

We got a point out of it against a Fulham side with an excellent home record, so I am not ready to slash my wrists just yet

Saving that for the next game?

[bazza]

I watched the game on TV in the pub.

What a disorganised rabble we are. Midfield was very poor, especially in the second half.

Rochina looked out of his depth at first but grew in stature, scored the goal and vied for MOM.

Dunn did well in his role of holding midfield but picked up the predictable injury and went off.

Givet is NEVER a full back. Too slow. Central defender or nothing.

We need two good full backs. Salgado is past it. He is a liability. And Olsson should be midfield.

Dann had a nervy debut.

I had high hopes we would get three points today but we played like a relegation-bound outfit.

We need a proven manager to get us out of this mess.

[Andy]

I don't see what there is to gain at the moment by trying to provide a counter opinion to the majority.

'Looking for the positives' or 'providing balance' = burying your head in the sand and being ignorant to the bigger problems at the club.

Until we recognise and fix the problems, nothing will get better long-term.

[imy9]

Saving that for the next game?

As I said to you (I think) before the game started, when we play I support the team, I cannot fathom a loss. I can however take a positive from getting our first point at a VERY difficult away ground, why is that so difficult to understand for some on here? (no directed at you in particular)

[DE.]

We lost a leader on the pitch and someone who was a threat in both penalty boxes.

Leaders don't publically try and engineer moves out of their clubs. I don't consider him much of a leader, nor am I convinced his injury was legit... as I said, we looked fine without him. Kean doesn't use him up the other end of the pitch for long-balls, or he didn't during that match anyway. We barely had any attacks in the second half anyway. Our fullbacks were our problem defensively, Givet was as good as Samba when he shifted to CB.

Dunn has played very well so far this season IMO- I dont think it is a coincidence that we lost whatever shape we had when he went off.

We had no shape before or after he went off. Dunn has been OK this season, but nothing more than that. he won't stay fit long enough to help us this year, he'll do well to play 1/3 of the matches with his fitness problems.

You also failed to mention our goal scorer being taken off due to injury too.

Other than scoring our goal Rochina didn't do that much. We'd been overrun the entire second half and he barely had a touch during the second 45 before he came off injured. Admittedly I was stunned that Kean felt it was the right move to put Jason Lowe on. Bizarre.

As I said, you are technically right that it was a good point - but that's purely looking at the result. Performance wise there's a lot to be worried about and we're still bottom of the league. Much like Everton, Fulham were poorer than they've been in some seasons and just like Everton we couldn't beat them.

[thenodrog]

Past time now for Dunn to be retired to the bench. He hasn't got 90 mins in him and his inclusion from the start means that we only ever have the choice of 2 subs. Goodness knows why Lowe came on cos Formica may as well not have been on and should have been subbed at ht whilst Goodwillie is seriously unfit and appears to only have a max of 60 mins in his locker. Hoillets late injury meant we were down to 10 men and if it had happened sooner could have cost us the solitary point that we currently have.

As for Keans team selection, his reluctance to change the left back situation where Givet was as exposed as could be until we'd given away the equaliser and his baffling use of subs and tactics..... Just rubbish and as fine an example of rank bad management as one could hope for.

1 point from 4 matches and against some of the Prems weaker teams. That extrapolates out to a 10 point total for the season...just so long as the big guns have off days. I wonder if 10 points will be enough to keep us up?

[imy9]

I don't see what there is to gain at the moment by trying to provide a counter opinion to the majority.

'Looking for the positives' or 'providing balance' = burying your head in the sand and being ignorant to the bigger problems at the club.

Until we recognise and fix the problems, nothing will get better long-term.

Sack Kean- hire a competent manager.

There recognized the problem and fixed it, now what happens?

I dont think anyone is burying their head in the sand but unless you have a definitive answer most I feel will support the team and grumble about the manager.

Past time now for Dunn to be retired to the bench. He hasn't got 90 mins in him and his inclusion from the start means that we only ever have the choice of 2 subs. Goodness knows why Lowe came on cos Formica may as well not have been on and should have been subbed at ht whilst Goodwillie is seriously unfit and appears to only have a max of 60 mins in his locker. Hoillets late injury meant we were down to 10 men and if it had happened sooner could have cost us the solitary point that we currently have.

As for Keans team selection, his reluctance to change the left back situation where Givet was as exposed as could be until we'd given away the equaliser and his baffling use of subs and tactics..... Just rubbish and as fine an example of rank bad management as one could hope for.

1 point from 4 matches and against some of the Prems weaker teams. That extrapolates out to a 10 point total for the season...just so long as the big guns have off days. I wonder if 10 points will be enough to keep us up?

Arsenal 38 points

Spurs 38 points

I wonder if Harry and Wenger will survive with that points tally?

Extrapolating after FOUR games, 'bleedin' Nora'

[Gav]

We have the nucleus of a good side, to get anything from Fulham is a bonus, they’re usually very good at home, so thats a positive.

I’ll post the rest in the Kean thread.

[thenodrog]

We got a point out of it against a Fulham side with an excellent home record,

Played 2 Drawn 2 F1 A1

[Mandrake]

Petrovic was nowhere near the required level..norwegian commentators slagged him off during every minute of his play time...and I agree

KEAN OUT

[Balwer]

please include Grella in the team next week Kean. Our midfield will get walked through by Arsenal next week if we don't. N'Zonzi was poor today and Petrovic is still a work in progress.

[Rover & Out]

When we play well, like the Everton game, and lose, people highlight the fact that it's points that matter.

When we don't play so well, like for large parts of today, people highlight our poor performance.

[thenodrog]

I can however take a positive from getting our first point at a VERY difficult away ground,

I can think of at least 10 more difficult not even including Manchester!

[Gav]

Petrovic was nowhere near the required level..norwegian commentators slagged him off during every minute of his play time...and I agree

KEAN OUT

Fulham have just signed Ruiz for 10m, he looked terrible today, but its a little early to judge don't you think? same with Petrovic, give the man a chance.

[Scott18]

Petrovic was nowhere near the required level..norwegian commentators slagged him off during every minute of his play time...and I agree

KEAN OUT

Nemanja Vidic was terrible when he first joined united. One of his first games was against Rovers when we hit 4 past them and he turned out alright didn't he? Petrovic was never going to be top class straight away give him time FFS.

[Tom]

Don't get me wrong even if they had no keeper in the net we wouldnt have hit the target but to me its a blatant red.

Hoilett only had to head it over the keeper because of him rushing out, had he not been there its an easy goal, therefore him fouling him and impeding him prevented a goalscoring chance.

Swap the position of the goalkeeper and the defender and it would be a red no doubt.

[roverandout]

waggy, how can you say fulham never looked like scoring? they looked like they could break through our weak feeble resistance every time they came in our half.

as for we were worthy of a point, what game were you watching? we deserved to lose and no mistake, i dont know what planet some people are on sometimes.