Yeah, disgusting indeed. I'm not sure how the same group of guys go out there and play some really exciting football in the first half and then just go belly up in the second half. I found Iwobi and Raul particularly offensive in the second half. When Fulham just needed to get possession and assert some control they seemed intent on giving the ball away as soon as possible. Fulham just allowed a relentless Everton attack for 30 minutes! At about the 60 minute mark I said "Nothing is going to change until Everton gets their eventual goal, so Fulham might as well let them score now to have more time to come back." Well things did change somewhat after the first goal, but not much better.
Was half time the point where Fulham inevitably starts their second-half-of-the-season-slide? It has happened every year in the Premier League under Silva and it seemed like the team stopped caring suddenly.
I wish I could remember what I felt good about in the first half. The second half was so terrible it blotted out that memory. I was excited to see Muniz, Bobb, and Kevin come on (although a little late) - but then I saw them play. Bobb was terrible. I know this is the first time he's played in a while, but what an atrocious start.
Usually I'm disappointed after a Fulham loss, but this one actually has me a little mad.
I've had some time to reflect and feel even worse about Marco's game management in this one. By minute 60, I was begging him to put King in for Iwobi because we just couldn't break the press and needed King's control, turn and ball carrying. I just don't understand how the one player we needed the most in the second half never made it off the bench.
There was one moment that burned itself into my eyeballs: on the corner right before Leno's own goal, Bobb was marking Tarkowski. The kid is about a foot shorter. It symbolizes how disorganized we were even though nether Bobb nor Tarkowski played a role in that goal. That's on Leno and Andersen.
If Leno continues to make poor choices, as he has been this season, I can see the door opening for Lecomte to start.
Some of Cuenca's decisions, especially when he would play the man instead of the ball, were puzzling, but he was still the better of the two center backs. Even so, I think he just handed the starting job over to Bassey.
Castagne and Andersen looked like traffic cones in the buildup to Everton's first. Premier League defending? https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/watch/premier-league/kiernan-dewsbury-hall-finds-evertons-equalizer-against-fulham
I hope we see Tete start from now on. Castagne is useful off the bench.
Just like Leno, Andersen has suffered a dip in form. I might have preferred Diop today or, preferably, three in the back until Andresen gets back to his best.
I though Iwobi played a good first half, but he was atrocious in the second. He just stopped. That left Berge with few options, and the inevitable back passes to the panicked defense ensued. In the second half, we looked like we were playing a man or two down.
Smith-Rowe was actually decent for the whole shift but was alone in that. Sess was good in the first half and didn't do anything wrong in the second (but nothing good either).
I might disagree about Raul. He got no service in the second half and had to come back to his own box to defend because we were completely overrun in midfield. He should have done better with a chance in the first half, but he should have been offered more chances by his teammates.
I'm of two minds on Silva. I really like him and think he's done a fantastic job at the club. He excels at player development. I'd like him to stay if both sides can come to an agreement. I happen to think he's a good game manager, too, which is why today felt particularly awful. But then I ask myself, would a more flexible manager be able to get a little more from this group of players? If he does leave, I hope we prioritize someone with flexibility who matches the tactics to the players.
Our next two Prem games are away: Man City and Sunderland. Today, I am not optimistic about getting a point from either. I'm afraid that Micah might be right about this feeling like the start of our usual late-season capitulation.
Dropping points from a winning position at home against an “equal” club like Everton is discouraging, especially since they were without Grealish the flopping baby.
