Back from the game - Fulham Away

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

I'm guessing all this negativity is coming from those who weren't there.

I'm guessing it's coming from those who don't seem to be happy unless there's something to moan about.

They're wallowing in relegation, and don't want anything to disrupt it.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

i was impressed today. we got the ball down. there was a point at the start of the second half where Fulham couldn't get near us, and we should have killed the game off then.

i was amazed at how easily we got in behind Fulham's full backs and got a winger running at the centre half. McCleary should have down better a few times, got into a great position time and time again and poor quality at the end.

you can definately see an improvement in the football. its on the floor and the ball retention is so much better. we switched play well and created a lot of space from it.

thought Guthrie and Jem were excellent in the middle. Jem just shades my MOTM vote though

[Brian's left bollock]

To negative people. Ok this might not mean we will walk the league next year, but aren't we allowed to celebrate a victory and a vast improvement from what we have seen most this seasn?

[MR. CYNICAL]

You miss my point.
All i am saying is, if we can play so well and score 4 goals, what the hell are we doing in this position. Performances like this two months ago may of kept us up, so forgive me if winning now gives me an empty feeling.
Also, i notice most of you that are lauding Adkins playing style are the same people that wanted BM to stay!!
I believed he should of gone before xmas.

[Brian's left bollock]

The past has happened though. You may as well look to the future.

[If you still hate Futcher]

I know you can't form an accurate opinion of a performance on strength of MOTD highlights, but they made it look like Fulham dicked on us and we were very lucky.

The key phrase there is "they made it look". I got talking to a couple of Fulham fans on the train after the game and they agreed we dominated the game and said they thought the first half possession was something like 70-30 in or favour. While that may be a bit over the top (we did struggle for a bit when they brought on Rodellega and went 442) we were much the better team and played excellent football.

OK, we were a bit open defensively in the last 20, but that was as a result of the midfield having run their stocks off and tiring. The substitutions were good in the main, still not sure what Blackman brings us but you could see what we were trying there (big strong forward to win headers against their fullback)

To sum up: a great display, good atmosphere in a nice traditional football ground and friendly open home fans. Even the weather played its part

[Maguire]

You miss my point.
All i am saying is, if we can play so well and score 4 goals, what the hell are we doing in this position

I'm guessing it's because we don't play disinterested sides every week whose lackadaisical approach to the match allowed us so much time to play football.

We did play well though, and Fulham really is a great day out.

[Woodcote Royal]

Lets try and get this thread on track.

Call me naive, but I thought we were superb today, our passing was as good and effective as anything I've seen since Coppell's reign. When Adkins was appointed, I felt he was the right choice but we would have to wait until well into next season before we saw the benefit, well on the basis of today, we won't have to be waiting that long. With each game we have looked better and better and, just six games in, Adkins has transformed a team that previous was totally deviod of confidence to one that looked comfortable on the ball and entirely at home taking the game to the oppo in an away Premiership game.

Individually, players look so much better, Mariappa, Morrison, Guthrie and particularly Karacan. Karacan has spent the season being an attritional player reliant solely on work rate and giving us nothing nwhen we had possession. Now, he's hungry for the ball, looking for the short pass, making himself available, a completely different player.

If we keep this squad (less Pog, Harte, Shorey and Pearce) and make a few decent signings as replacements, I see no reason why we shouldn't be supremely confident about next season.

Agree with most of this, including those who should be off loaded in the summer.

Before Abramovich Minimus sinks his hands into those deep pockets, as must have been agreed before Adkins put pen to paper, this squad is already superior to the one that won 15 of 19 games as it stormed to the top of last season's Championship. On this basis, I can't believe the number of posts that I've read suggesting mid-table would be acceptable in the next campaign as we need 2 or 3 seasons to rebuild

McDermott's loss should be Adkin's gain and if, without having to sell his best players to balance the budget and a Championship transfer kitty that Brian could only dream about, we find ourselves in the wrong half of the table come Christmas, Adkins should suffer the same fate as his predecessor............................not that I think this will come to pass but it would be rank poor use of available recources if it did.

From what I saw from 50mins of SKY highlights, this was a very decent performance against a rather complacent Fulham outfit, who should be spending more time looking over their shoulders than dreaming of far away shores. This, however, should not detract from just how good this side can be in the second tier and that's before a brass farthing has been spent to improve it.

I would happily see Pog off loaded and his percentage of the wage bill spent on bribing McCarthy to give us one season as our number one. If I blame Brian McDermnott for one thing it's the very real prospect of losing our very special young 'keeper before he's played more than a few handfuls of games in the first team. Hang onto McCarthy and the back five is starting to look very decent for the second tier.

Like many others, I will thoroughly enjoy watching a team that applies the true value to ball retention. To me, that means not losing possession needlessly, especially when the opposition has gained the upper hand and keeping the ball is the best weapon to nullify their threat. Even Coppell's 106 rarely manage that but in their case they were so much better than the rest it didn't matter. On the other hand, Brendan's team kept the ball but rarely did much with it.

I have high hopes that Adkins can produce what most of us are looking for and he in turn should be very grateful for McDermott's legacy.

[RoyalBlue]

I know you can't form an accurate opinion of a performance on strength of MOTD highlights, but they made it look like Fulham dicked on us and we were very lucky.

OK, we were a bit open defensively in the last 20, but that was as a result of the midfield having run their stocks off and tiring. The substitutions were good in the main, still not sure what Blackman brings us but you could see what we were trying there (big strong forward to win headers against their fullback)

And that latter part makes McDermott and Hammon's decision to buy Blackman all the more mystifying! We already had a strong, reasonably fast, extremely hardworking forward who would have won the majority of headers against their fullbacks and centrebacks - his name is Noel Hunt and though not big, he makes up for it with his incredible leaping ability.

[pea]

Karacan - 9 MotM

Great post

*rubs eyes*

Still, good to see things are coming together nicely and just in time too

[Alexander Litvinenko]

It's the first match where Adkins's football philosophy and change of style is really starting to show through - much more passing and much more accurate passing (86% completion in the first half is unheard of!)

Still a weakness in defence, though, Fulham had plenty of chances themselves and our marking was often sloppy/non-existent - and but for McCarthy's saves in the first half it could have been a very different game.

So no, we're not suddenly world-beaters, and this was a transitional performance - but the signs for the future are certainly extremely encouraging.

[72 bus]

You miss my point.
All i am saying is, if we can play so well and score 4 goals, what the hell are we doing in this position

Two words:
Brian
Mcdermott

[Will95]

Great day out, great performance, great win.

Looking forward to next year now!

[Davezk]

I was planning to travel down for this one but didn't have the time in the end - gutted really given the performance.

What really bugged me was the minimal amount of discussion on the MoTD. One line of 'Reading are relegated' but Fulham bla bla. No analysis of a change in style and a dominating performance - really seems they don't pay much attention as it was an obvious topic of conversation.

Not that The Football League Show is much better...

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

You miss my point.
All i am saying is, if we can play so well and score 4 goals, what the hell are we doing in this position.

Performances fluctuate.

We're not just going to flick a switch and be a good team.

A poor display from Fulham certainly helped, but that alone wouldn't make us play well, and by all accounts we did play well. That is what people find encouraging. They are thinking they if we can play like that next season, with a bit of activity in the transfer market, then it could be promising.

It's a bit like when McGhee took over. We certainly weren't great most weeks, but now and then you got flashes of the sort of team the 93/94 team would become. It enthused people, even if we were still mediocre on the whole at first.

I really struggle to grasp how that's such a difficult concept. It's not as anyone is saying we've become a great team that would stay up easily if given another chance, or that promotion next year is in the bag.

[SPARTA]

You miss my point.
All i am saying is, if we can play so well and score 4 goals, what the hell are we doing in this position.

It takes time to change things. BM's football was draconian at best for this level, and now we're being coached to play attractive effective football. McDonut's team wouldn't have got a win yesterday. It would have sat back and hit it into the channels hoping to pick off the scraps. We ran the show yesterday! Total contrast.

[sandman]

How mature.

[melonhead]

Improving? How can we improve now that we are down?

Wotasillyquestion

[JC]

One small point that I have not seen mentioned is that win could have been worth £0.75 million which is the difference in prize money between 20th and 19th places.

[loyalroyal4life]

One small point that I have not seen mentioned is that win could have been worth £0.75 million which is the difference in prize money between 20th and 19th places.

So pogs wages for about 4 months