Fulham USA: US Supporters club of Fulham FC

Eyesore at the Cottage

Fulham won their first home league match since April today against a Stoke side as uninspired and uninspiring as their hosts. A well taken goal by Darren Bent in the 83rd minute separated the two teams in a match in which neither side did enough to earn three points. As a matter of fact, neither side did enough to gain ONE point. About 65 minutes in, I wondered how many people in the Cottage were watching their first ever Premier League match and wondering to themselves, “THIS is the best league in the world? Really? Is this what all the fuss is about?”

But I digress. Martin Jol, who slipped out of the pressure cooker to frown for 90+ minutes on the Fulham sidelines, turned out an interesting XI. The back four consisted of three centerbacks and one German. One of the many things we learned today is that Amorebieta is NOT a left back, and yet Mark Hughes’s Stoke City was so poor in attack that they were never really able to unlock this makeshift back four....

Uninspiring, Unsurprising, Unacceptable

Today, Fulham performed as poorly at home as I’ve seen since that cold November day that was Lawrie Sanchez’s last game as Fulham manager. On that day against a sub-par Newcastle, Fulham showed little effort and no cohesion. We saw that again today … at the Cottage … against Cardiff. Yes, we lost Scott Parker to injury within 5 minutes, and that certainly hurt us, but it doesn’t explain the overall lack of impetus, the impossible to detect game plan, nor does it explain the fact that our back four resembled a bunch of fit young gentlemen standing on an underground platform not looking at each other.

If you don’t want to read any further [and I certainly don’t blame you], just read this: Fulham faced the weakest side we’re likely to see at The Cottage this season and let them dictate the terms of the match for nearly all of the 90 minutes. According to the stats I saw, Fulham got off a massive nine shots against the VISITOR’s 22. Our corporate...

I have been wondering for a while now if I have allowed the prejudices of others regarding Fulham’s play to cloud my own judgment on the state of football currently on display at the Cottage. If you do any amount of reading regarding the state of Fulham Football Club you will most certainly see a distinct divide about what is happening in the here and now down by the River Thames. As an American Fulham fan I want nothing more than to sit back on a Saturday morning and watch the Whites roll to an impressive win over the days opposition but I have no preconceived notion that I will not come away on as many Saturdays ruing a missed shot or a breakdown in the defense as I will celebrating a superb winner or stunning game preserving save by the keeper. I am well aware that Fulham are not among the entitled and I do try to keep my expectations firmly grounded in hoping for the squad to put in a good shift, for them to cause their fair share of trouble to the opposition’s defense and for...