BFTG - Fulham

[bigshaka'away']

I love Fulham away. Great away day, great noise. Crazy 10 minutes, but it happens. Nothing to worry about, one of those things. Would like a new keeper though.

[photographer]

AAH was not at fault for those goals. Look at our defense and the manager's decisions for that

[JIM]

Wtf happened ? Is this the start of our downward trend, 2 games. 5 points given away/ 5 places down the league, at this rate relegation by xmas,

[gdroyal]

Really frustrating afternoon. Completely dominated the first half and could have had a couple more. Seemed to overplay quite a lot and it ended often with the killer ball getting cut out. Good second from Sa. What was very frustrating is that there was absolutely no effort from the front four to track back, giving Fulham loads of space to pick passes and get behind our defence. Although Al-Habsi could do nothing about the goals, there did seem to be no communication with our defence ending in quite a heated exchange after the 4th.

I want to know what has happened to McLeary. Been our best winger for the last couple of years and tore them apart at the Cottage last year but has only started one game in October. How he is behind the constantly sulking Piazon I don't know and I feel he would have been a better option that John to bring on today.

[Huckleberry Hound]

My 100% losing record at Craven Cottage continues.
Very good first half, but as soon as we got our second we just fell apart at the back. Didn't see that coming at all.

[bigshaka'away']

I think people are reading too much into a crazy 7 mins. Not tactics, just poor decisions by players when we went 2-0 up. Switched off, they scored. Heads went for five minutes and they scored with every attack. After that it was pretty even. It happens to every team sometimes. When it becomes a habit then we can worry, but otherwise just one of those days. If we hadn't conceded straight away, we would have won easily.

[jd82]

I love Fulham away. Great away day, great noise. Crazy 10 minutes, but it happens. Nothing to worry about, one of those things. Would like a new keeper though.

Really strange attitude this imo. We won the first half at a canter, and looked like we would walk the game. If being 2-0 up and letting the oppo walk 4 goals and more importantly, comprehensively take control of a game, is not something to worry about I don't know what is.

[Kitsondinho]

That point at Rotherham looks much better now....glad I chose going to that and not today's debacle now
Seriously though, these things happen in the Championship. The league is so open this season (again!!) and there appears not to be one outstanding team that is going to walk the title. I haven't changed my view from pre-season that we'll finish sonewhere between 5th and 10th.....most likely 7th following an embarrassing pitch invasion on the final day.........

[Snowball]

I think people are reading too much into a crazy 7 mins. Not tactics, just poor decisions by players when we went 2-0 up. Switched off, they scored. Heads went for five minutes and they scored with every attack. After that it was pretty even. It happens to every team sometimes. When it becomes a habit then we can worry, but otherwise just one of those days. If we hadn't conceded straight away, we would have won easily.

In the Rotherham game it seemed the front four were "fluid"

That's great when you're walking all over the opponents

But it sounded like too many players were out of position when Fulham broke

In one case Blackman and Piazon were on the left wing with no-one on the right



Also, first half the radio pundits were saying that we desperately needed
to do something about their sub who\d come on and they were finding
it far too easy down our wings

[Top Flight]

A great day completely ruined by the half-time pork and leek sausages.

I was just enjoying my first mouthful of a splendid gourmet hot dog when Orlando Sa fired us into a two nil lead. But before I could finish the sausage we had thrown away a 2 goal lead and found ourselves three two down.

Unbelievable. We collapsed in record time. We had alot of flair players on the pitch, but we look like we missed the more solid likes of Hal Robson Kanu and particularly Stephen Quinn today.

This game should serve as a wake up call and we can't get complacent. If we are going to win games in the championship we have to graft as well and do the ugly things too.

[Top Flight]

I can see this thread running into many many pages.

[blueroyals]

It has been coming - we haven't got out of second gear in the last couple of games and now we've been punished.

Al Habsi - 4 could have done better with at least 2 of the goals

Gunter - 3 poor defensively and even worse going forward
Hector - 1 dogshit
McShane - 2 dogshit
Obita - 2 dogshit

Norwood - 4 poor defensively
Williams - 4 poor defensively
Blackman - 5 anonymous
Piazon - 6 scored and played ok

Vydra - 4 good assist but otherwise poor
Sa - 6 good goal and played ok

John - 5 offered nothing
Tshibola - why?
Fernandez - why?

[bigshaka'away']

I love Fulham away. Great away day, great noise. Crazy 10 minutes, but it happens. Nothing to worry about, one of those things. Would like a new keeper though.

Really strange attitude this imo. We won the first half at a canter, and looked like we would walk the game. If being 2-0 up and letting the oppo walk 4 goals and more importantly, comprehensively take control of a game, is not something to worry about I don't know what is.

It's a worry only if it keeps happening.

A really worrying away performance is one like charlton's the other week ~ rather than a performance like today where we bossed most of the game and had a crazy seven mins.

[PieEater]

A tight first half but we were in complete control and it was no surprise that we went 1-0 ahead.

Second half we carried on playing then at 2-0 we thought it was game over. Then for some inexplicable reason we turned to shit and conceded 4 goals without really troubling their keeper. McShane at fault for one of them but really we totally lost it after they scored their first. I've not seen the stats but I'd guess the score reflects the shots on target.

We really did not cope well from them coming back to 1-2 and from that point on it was all downhill.

Still, a top away day despite the result.

[Top Flight]

We had what Steve Coppell would have described as a soft underbelly.

As soon as Fulham came on to us we capitulated.

The collapse was more to do with team selection than anything else. I'm not blaming Steve Clarke but we really needed lads like Stephen Quinn, Hal Robson and Tish from the start today. Sadly two of those were unavailable.

We have the personnel in our ranks to ensure that this will only be a one off. And credit to Fulham, they can also attack with flair and skill and with a finisher like McCormack up front they will destroy a few more defences this season. We're not the first defence that has been ripped apart like that by Fulham this season. They were good.

[Top Flight]

What a wake up call.....

We're not as good as we think we are!

[tidus_mi2]

What a wake up call.....

We're not as good as we think we are!

It's 1 defeat in 6 games, I'd say we're still good for at least a playoff position.

[Top Flight]

We possess the quality but huge complacency shown today.

We got a bit too cocky.

[The Cap]

I'm certainly not a dramatic person. However, is it too dramatic to say that I reckon a few of us are still in shock? Apart from the result, great away day though

[genome]

Just about calmed down, now. But still unacceptable.

I can't really add anything more other than I think it may stand the squad in good stead to have experienced it, and Craven Cottage is lovely.

I was in the home end, btw. Royals fans looked and sounded fantastic until the equaliser, after that understandably silent. The Sa chant was deafening and raised some smiles with the Fulham fans.