Fulham 3 United 0 - view from the sofa

[Addison]

Think you've hit on it here Deadbat. Our midfielders don't have movement ahead of them so they do the sensible thing and keep possession by playing it square or backwards. Unfortunately, you had a chalk-and-cheese comparison up front with Mitrovic and Donaldson while the Fulham wingers were able to provide an outlet: as they had the edge on our wingbacks in terms of pace it stopped Baldock and Stevens getting forward as effectively.

One small criticism hinted at earlier was that Wilder waited until half time to change things around. We had the personnel to go to 4-3-3 (and match Fulham) even if it wouldn't have been perfect: a back four of Baldock - Stearman - O'Connell - Stevens with Evans - Basham - Fleck in midfield and Duffy - Donaldson - Sharp up front. That would have covered the width of Fulham's attacking better. Holmes for Donaldson at half time would have given us the option to drop into a 4-5-1 too.

Pushing Basham into midfield early in the game when the formation wasn't working was something we did on a regular basis last season. It was very effective. Maybe we are more cautious this season because of the quality and pace of the opposition.

 

[Blend-it-like-Harris]

Not criticising the players in a sense - they did their best and it was not lack of effort. They were just better. Much better.

I agree wholeheartedly with that conclusion; that's why I thought your ratings were harsh on our lads. If it had been Man City we were playing I think you might have gone much easier on them, and expected the clouting before a ball was kicked. Their performance on the day (maybe one of those rare and magic games where everything you do seems to come off - bit like Blades 6 Spurs 0) was worthy of a top Prem team and I thought a 54 overall score didn't take that into account.

 

[Woodwardfan]

I re-watched the game today and Evans was as poor or should I say as ineffective as I remembered. We had no control of midfield from start to finish other than first 10 mins. His sole contribution seemed to be to turn and play it backwards. The Fulham midfielders in contract first instinct was to turn and go forward. They made space and did it quickly and advanced. He and others (Duffy and Fleck not much better) were so slow in terms of how they did things and wanted forever and needed way too many touches to do things.

I think he is steady but not he has been very inconsistent game by game. Like Lundstram neither have put two good games together.

Like the Flynn comparison!!! Good memory. i did not mind him for United but like Evans another flat track bully who played well against the poorer teams and nowhere near as effective against the better ones.

Flynn by the way could not get in the Oldham side end of last season and this - he then was released and is now playing in the 2nd tier of Scorland for St Mirren at only 29 (his peak) so has not exactly gone on to do much since he left us!

As i say my opinion but i would suggest you also re-watch and look at the speed/movement/touch and way Fulham players move out of zones/areas of the pitch - nothing was fixed and midfielders constantly got into the box. Not sure we had one midfielder get ahead of the strikers all night - it was all very fixed. Not criticising the players in a sense - they did their best and it was not lack of effort. They were just better. Much better.

Hey Deadbat Fulham are just a few years out of the top tier. Since then parachute payments. They now have got things together. In those past 4/5 years I seem to remember they nearly went down. OK they are on the up, it goes in cycles. We met them on an upward curve at last. We are on an upward trajectory which might just turn into a curve in due course. It's daft to expect anything other than what happened Tuesday as they have momentum as I say, at last. Our momentum has dipped but fgs we were way beyond ourselves and don't forget they got away with the points last year when we deserved far more.

'Men against men' but just at different stages of development. Two years hence we will be so capable at this level, maybe even in that curve they are in right now.

Preach empathy not apathy.

 

[grafikhaus]

Surely you mean “supplement”

Probably not, sounds similar but 'supplant' means

supersede and replace.

'supplement' is

a thing added to something else in order to complete or enhance it.

Yours, Dictionary Corner.

It was my first time visiting Craven Cottage and I have to say it’s a really nice little ground, with bags of character, wasted perhaps on the least passionate set of football fans you’ll ever come across (epitomised by the use of clappers). They, by and large, seem just to be local, middle class folk, who turn up in the good times and probably go and watch the cricket / rugby in the bad times. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, just worlds apart from what we’re used to.

On my way to the stadium there had been delays on the District Line due to a signal failure at Wimbledon. Owing to this, I uncharacteristically took the decision to leave the ground fairly early. I took the scenic route back to Putney Bridge station and walked along a quiet path, through the leafy park, on the river front, with the noise of the stadium fading into the distance. The river was glistening with city lights, the bridge was up ahead, lit by those old lantern style street lamps and in that moment it just became obvious to me why even a club like Fulham, with a smaller fan base and inferior facilities, are so much more investable than ourselves. I’m a London Blade (now) and I do miss home from time-to-time, but putting myself in the shoes of a wealthy foreigner (investor, or footballer) I could just see why there is no competition. It just feels like a good place to be.

Nicely put. Enjoy it while it's there, though. It's surely the most desirable piece of footballing real-estate left. Bang on the Thames, West End etc. A souless bowl/ground-share beckons.

 

[RealMcCoy]

Probably not, sounds similar but 'supplant' means

supersede and replace.

'supplement' is

a thing added to something else in order to complete or enhance it.

Yours, Dictionary Corner.


Nicely put. Enjoy it while it's there, though. It's surely the most desirable piece of footballing real-estate left. Bang on the Thames, West End etc. A souless bowl/ground-share beckons.

Can’t understand why O’Connell, Baldock, Fleck, Coutts, Duffy and Brookes would be first on your list of players to be replaced!
Gotta be joking.