I've been thinking we would get a point against Boro. If we botch this match up I can't see that happening anymore as confidence on the pitch and in the stands will be too low.

OAFC. They could be OAPFC and we probably still wouldn't score the way things are going.

So that's all subs done by the 65th minute? If we equalise doesn't this go into extra time? Or is it straight to pens?

At home. And despite having 75 percent possession.

Actually that's got to be worth tens of millions at least. After all, it's the only proof of alternate realities.

Umm ok? Hope the u-23s get a decent manager sorted soon. Probably not the cause of this defeat but can't hurt.

On what though? Not benching him? My prediction for this game is that we scrape a victory. Possibly AET or pens.

It's simple. Does Bennett have a captain's personality? Yes. Should he be playing most weeks as a captain is generally expected to? No.

Ack so didn't end too well in the U-23 game. 3-1 to Arsenal. Hat trick from Folarin Balogun. All penalties.

Could be. Would have thought maybe the Canadian would get game time in the U-23s if that were the case though. Get him some game time for if he is needed later in the season, so he can be sharper. You can still have up to three senior players I think?

No Fisher even on the bench...interesting. Loan deal maybe about to happen? Is that Garrett on the bench our 16-year old defender Jake Garrett? Interesting to see him in a u-23 squad already. One to watch I think.

Looks like on Saturday though, the u-18s got spanked at home by Liverpool....7-1!

He basically did exactly what he did last window. Both windows, everyone could see the defence was short on quality and, due to the injury proneness of some, depth too. Both windows instead of fixing this he let people go out on loan. Except last time I think it was just Downing? This time he tripled the folly. Staggering. Both times, Lenihan proceeded to get injured immediately to highlight it. Hopefully the injury is less severe this time.

Tosin is meant to have done well yesterday, and impressed a fair bit when CB at WBA. Cunningham is also supposed to be a good player at this level, which puts him at least a full level above Bell. Personally I rate Nyambe and Lenihan most of the time. Think they can both kick on too, especially if helped by better partners than they've had. Past reputations elsewhere don't matter in blue and white though. Many players look good or crap at one club and completely reverse at another. The key here is in how they end up gelling as a unit. But yep once we get injuries - and it was always inevitable Lenihan was going to get one, fuck knows why Tony didn't learn his lesson there - it starts to look really thin. The jury is out on whether Williams is adequate cover at CB. He gave me nightmares at LB. Even if he does prove adequate in the middle, any more injuries, suspensions or loss of form there leave us more vulnerable than a Venkys 'dry powder' transfer fund keg once the window shuts. Goalie still not inspiring yet either.

I research the points I'm tryna make, not the ones you're tryna make Just didn't think showing their games with us shows their inexperience. It'd be like saying Downing was inexperienced. Absolutely take your point with the youngsters though. To have any reliance on them when they've had no game time at this level is madness. All but the most insanely defensive of the club can see the lack of depth in our defence now. In fairness, the best four is probably a fairly decent one. But the fact two of that best four were injured this weekend goes to show why failing to add properly to the defence was borderline suicidal. The fact that the manager seems unwilling to play one of those even when he is fit puts a huge question mark over the gaffer. I wish it were the only one...

Tbh, in a thread about how the transfer window went, it's a bit odd to talk about the games players have played for us. Anyone we sign, unless an ex-player of ours, will start at 0... Would have been better to show the total games in those leagues or higher. That would have still highlighted a lack of experience at the back for a few players.

Were you told who won? Also, did you pretty much just do a Bielsa for Fulham by posting it?

OK fess up, who are the 3 people who voted for Bennett? I really hope it was just Bennett with 3 accounts. I was going to joke one might be TM but I pray not.

Whilst a win would be a marvellous tonic for the current malaise, to expect it in any way is just setting us up to fail. We are away to what is thought to be one of, if not the, best teams in the league. A draw must be considered a good outcome regardless of how they got caught flat-footed last weekend. Not that we shouldn't go for the win if the opportunity arises. I suspect we are going to finish the day wishing we had got a point rather than wishing we got 3.

He's not on anything like 25k a week I'd happily wager. Probably about 15k. Still too much.

You can make this argument about pretty much any player at pretty much any point of their career. Which is what you've done.

Mowbray expects Fulham backlash Have to say, I completely agree with him. But I'd like to have seen some fighting talk about a backlash of our own. No talk of improving from last time out, only that we hope to give a good account of ourselves. Seems a bit timid and preparing us for a pasting tbh. But all that matters is what happens over the 90 minutes, not the pre-match guff.

Not sure if this has been posted. Mulgrew on Wigan move Looks like the usual empty flattery when players move clubs (fairly sure neither Wigan's facilities nor stadium are on par with ours so why be impressed?). No insight into the reason for the move, unsurprisingly.