Fulham @ Middlesbrough - Pre, postmatch thoughts

Fulham is on the road Tuesday night against Middlesbrough. Boro beat Fulham 2-0 in the third match of the season at the Cottage.

I am guessing Cookie will go with the 4-4-2, but to me the most important aspect of this match is for the Whites to get out and play hard, attacking football for 90 minutes.

This team has been playing catch up with teams all season long. I cannot remember the last time Fulham scored first in a match. If we spend the entire match chasing Boro, it could get ugly, but if we come out attacking and taking it to them as I know we can, we could get a point if not all three.

Boro is not playing their best right now and we might be catching them at a good time. It might be time for Collins John to get a start. From what I read he did well in his limited time in there Saturday. However, I do not think he will get the chance Tuesday. I think McBride and Cole will get the start and I hope we come out fast.

So, how does everyone think we should approach this match? Same starting XI? Do you bring Claus back in for Pembo or no? Pembo's corner and free kicks were outstanding Saturday. We have been missing that for quite some time. 4-4-2 still?

 

I agree that John should get the start, and that it should be a 4-4-2 formation. For some reason, Cole does not seem to be in synch with Boa Morte. Having someone else up front might help all involved. Pembridge's set pieces did sound good, but Knight does not seem able to finish. It would be nice if our defenders could score once in a while.

 

Re: RE: Fulham @ Middlesbrough - Pre, postmatch thoughts

I concur...Isn't it scary that the last defender to score for us was Volzy?!?!

 

RE: Re: RE: Fulham @ Middlesbrough - Pre, postmatch thoughts

I think it should be JOhn and McBride up front. Radz,Diop9if healthy), Steed, Boa midfield. Volz, Goma, Boca, Resenior defense. VDS in goal.

 

RE: Re: RE: Fulham @ Middlesbrough - Pre, postmatch thoughts

I'm not even going to hazard a guess, except that the team seems to be more comfortable with 2 up front... the results may not reflect that.

At this point we seem as likely to play well against a top 5 team as we might play badly against a bottom feeder.

So we'll get the few points we need to stay up, but I was confident of that a month ago... the question is 'from where' and I simply dont know.

 

RE: Re: RE: Fulham @ Middlesbrough - Pre, postmatch thoughts

Don't mess with the defense. It's much better than it was earlier in the season. Put Claus back in for Pembridge and start with John and Cole up front. Bring McBride off the bench depending on how it goes. One point would be fine given that we've gotten nothing on the road lately.

 

RE: Re: RE: Fulham @ Middlesbrough - Pre, postmatch thoughts

I think Pembridge should stay in for Jensen tomorrow night. Pembridge was excellent on corners and free kicks from what I understand on Saturday against City. Jensen has not showed me much of anything since returning from injury which makes me believe he is not 100% healthy right now.

We need good service on corners and free kicks and Pembo is by far our best players at doing that.

 

RE: Re: RE: Fulham @ Middlesbrough - Pre, postmatch thoughts

I think we should play 4.4.2 with collins john starting up front with Brian Mcbride, Collins deserves a start as he played really well after coming on as a sub. I think these two could combine well as mcbride wins every ball in the air and collins john called run on to one of mcbrides flick ons. we really need these 3 points we are capable of beaten boro but we got to be attacking from start to finish other wise we are going to get destroyed up there.

 

tonights game

I will be keeping my fingers crossed tonight, and believe me I know this is very easy to say, but having supported fulham for so long you become a realist. I will be keeping my fingers crossed not on the Fulham game but the Bolton game, then tomorrow the Spurs game. Fulham have their fate in their own hands but it would be nice to get some help along the way, Boro are one of those teams that always seem to beat us, even when we are playing well they do us, and they have a lot to play for tonight knowing that 7th place would probably get them into Europe, but heres where we are lucky so do Spurs and Bolton. I also think our players might be begining to think they are safe and be looking towards the Chelsea match which unless Arsenal do a number on the blues, that match will be for the division on Saturday, and Chelsea and their supporters would love nothing more than winning it against us. So I dont see us picking up anything tonight or Saturday, and I am just hoping that Bolton win tonight, blackburn win tomorrow along with Spurs and Newcastle and i will breathe a little easier as the Chelsea game approaches.

 

RE: tonights game

Is anyone else having trouble getting the broadcast link to work? Normally it works just fine here at the office, but today it's showing the server as "busy" or something like that... stupid computers.

 

RE: tonights game

YES! DAMN BROADBAND!!!!

I hate being available to watch or listen and OTHER things are going wrong... I think its 0-0, or was... I'm so lost.

 

RE: tonights game

I've had to follow on ESPN gamecast but it's due to firewall I think. No luck listening.
3 minutes to go in regulation 1-0 Fulham on a McBride goal in the 82nd!
If he's on today, Gentelman Jim must be going crazy
Hang on .. hang on..

 

RE: tonights game

Aarrrgggh!
Penalty kick for Boro in 90th.

 

RE: tonights game

foul on VDS

 

RE: tonights game

From what I have been told by a few that have seen this, the penalty given to Boro was for a foul committed outside the box. Whether it be City's offside goal last Saturday, the penalty be retracted against us vs Arsenal earlier this season, or today's snafu, we cannot get a break.

Rob Styles mix up just cost us three points. This is the clown who is supposed to be reffing the FA Cup and he misses this? Makes no sense to me. We played very, very well today and deserved all the points.

Cookie had to be restrained from the ref by players after the match. If I were him and the other players, I would be pissed at Styles. Let's hope the same team and same effort is shown on Saturday against the Scum.

 

RE: tonights game

Just got home and checked the result....looking forward to seeing the penalty decision on Fox soccer tonight. I heard it was a travesty and we fully deserved 3 points - which is quite a feat away at Middlesboro. I've been a big detractor of Cookie lately (he's still the best player I've seen in a fulham shirt whatever happens) but credit where credit is due. Shame we didn't get all 3 points.

 

RE: tonights game

Every account I've read says the play clearly happened outside the box. I don't see how they can ignore technology if their (supposed) top refs are making major mistakes like this on a regular basis. Replays are only needed for two things - ball over the goal line and penalties. It sounds as if it would have taken about 5 seconds of viewing to reverse today's call. It's infuriating but hopefully the team will take both the anger and the positive play from tonight down the road Saturday and use it.

 

RE: tonights game

From all the match reports, it sounds like Fulham were the better team by far today. They came out aggressive and actually scored first for once. The penalty was brutal and cost us a couple points. On the other hand, we missed a few easy chances so we can't lay all of the blame on the crap ref. I'll take the point. Maybe our luck will turn this weekend at the Bridge. Bring on Chelsea!

 

Ah, well... such is life

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