Arsenal v Fulham Pre and Post game

The first half was horrible from a Fulham perspective. The team looked scared and out of sorts. However, some phenomenal saves from Antti Niemi kept the Cottagers in the game.

The second half Fulham definitely did NOT dominate, but they played Arsenal evenly for sure. As Don mentioned, I did like the effort and performance of Clint Dempsey. I thought his presence on the pitch was a plus for Fulham.

After the Davies goal I thought Fulham would scrape a point out of this match. Unfortunately, two defensive lapses gave Arsenal two goals and before I could calm down for the Fulham equaliser, the Cottagers were down two goals.

The loss leaves a lot of work to do in the next two matches. I am nervous my fellow Fulham friends....I am really nervous.

 

Oi

Well, wasn't very settling was it? At least it was nice to see the spirit from Rosinor and Dempsey...hopefully at least that heart will carry over to next week cuz Fulham desperately needs, at the very least, a point vs. Liverpool

 

RE: Oi

and just a p.s......our forum at BS is near dead....i created a thread for the match LAST NIGHT....and got about 3 responses....so if anyone would care to post over there, in addition to here, it would be appreciated by all i think...

 

Demspey should start. He was our best player on the pitch and should superb quality. I believe he will be key for us to staying up. We lack serious talent and Dempsey can bring that talent. I am worried because West Ham have players that really should be playing at the very highest level while we have to battle for everything we get. We battled brilliantly in this game, but lacked talent to breakthrough. Our build-up play sometimes was very good, but when the time came to finish or put in a good cross we failed. Also our defense needs to improve as it is because of them we gave up these goals. Boca could of done better on the Baptista goal, Christanval was not close enough to Adebayor on the second goal and Volz looked like an absolute fool on the penalty call. People also bitch about Rosenior, but if he was in the game he would not have given up a penalty. He has shut down some of the best wingers this season and while Volz can attack better Rosenior is by far the better defender and can also get forward. We need to improve and I believe that if we win a game we will stay up.

 

Sorry I didn't make it to the chat; but this game was a punch to the face. I figured Arsenal would get up early as I woke up late but in the second half Fulham started getting more possession. Simon Davies made me do a happy dance, I felt bad for Dempsey being so unfortunate with the header (I understood the attempt at power, if only it went down!), and I felt so miserable when Adebayor ended the game with his counter (he beat Zat Knight and Philippe Cristanval as if they were terrible CBs...oh wait, THEY ARE) I just turned off the TV and left for school.

At least nothing has been decided, but Fulham really REALLY REALLY could have used the point. Aaaaargh.

 

Just back from the Emirates. Match aside, it was a great day out with Fulham fans and it is amazing to see so many coming together when the club needs them. Be proud.

We were lucky not to go 3-0 down in the first half and if it wasn't for Superhero, we would've been. The boys were so tentative and let Arsenal come at them.

In the second half we started to play better and let me say how impressed I was with Clint, all the Fulham fans were really impressed. He gave us the attack we needed and it was a bit of an unfair result...we were so close to getting 3 points and in th end we got none. Frustrating to say the least but my only saving grace is our fans outsung the plastic Arsenal crowd...which wasn't going to be a tough task.

Liam was really ill (was throwing up at half time) and if it wasn't for that, I think Montella would've came on.

With that said, I am keeping positive even though I am so gutted about the result...we could be safe after next weekend. Up the Fulham.

 

What a cruel end to the match. Granted, we hardly looked like a match to the Gooners, but Davies' equalizer was the just reward for the hard work the team put out there. In the end, they had Adebayor, we didn't.

I read somewhere that Rosey threw up in the tunnel at halftime, perhaps that was one of the reasons for the sub...

 

It looks like the last game against Middlesbrough will be a must win, unless we beat Liverpool. Dempsey must start against Liverpool.

 

Our fate rests in the hands of other teams, or so that's what the tables and fixtures tell me. We can beat Liverpool at home. Liverpool will be coming off a midweek game against Chelsea, so maybe they will be slightly tired....That is all I can hope for.

 

I only saw the first half, which was by all accounts nowhere near the performance of the second (good thing). Glad to read that everyone thought Clint was solid and (even the offal board where the majority labeled him "crap" after a TOTAL 90 minutes of playing time) wants to see him starting next week.

Speaking of starting, I think Radz should be in the starting XI...w/Toronto FC. Never doubting his committment, but he doesn't have the quality to be anything more than a burst of energy off the bench. He had 4 or 5 chances to create a scoring chance and failed miserably (that header straight OB after Lehman's mispunch was beyond pathetic).

On the whole the only option is to stay positive (hard to when you go to the offal board )and have faith the fellas will come up w/their best performance of the season next week.

 

Anyone know if the Liverpool game will be televised

 

Today and relegation

First off all our fate is in our hands, we are 1 point clear of West Ham, and 3 pts clear of Charlton, if we win one of our last two games even if Charlton win their last two, our goal difference will probably see us through. Charlton have to play Spurs at home who after yesterdays results are still playing for a uefa cup spot, and then Liverpool away, the kop will not want to be beaten at home, no matter if it means nothing. West ham are the worry, everyone is working for them, including the FA, now big Sam as quit, Bolton are still playing for UEFA cup spot, and then West Ham go to old trafford, hopefully by then Man U will have to beat them, Chelsea drawing yesterday was bad for us, because there is now a chance that Man U will have wrapped it up before the west ham game, but that said I dont thing fergie will like letting West ham do the double over them. Then theres Wigan, they have Middesboro and Sheff utd away, middesboro need one more point, and they will not want to wait to play us to get it, so that helps us as well.
Now today, Sanchez picked pretty much the same team CC as all season, instead of playing two forwards he put jensen in up front, McBride ran his heart out for nothing, I have said it before and will again, our midfield is terrible, Brown is a disgrace, all he tries to do is bring players down, he should play Rugby, when he gets the ball he is hopeless, Diop plays like he does not care and he probably dont, he will leave if we go a down, and might even go if we stay, drop him. Davies ordinary, jensen not fit, radz not up to it, we have nothing to offer in midfield, we keep hearing about our defenders and our forwards failure to score, the trouble is if midfield dont keep possesion for more then 30 seconds and as no clue how to spring a defence then you will not win many games, Sanchez might as well take a chance and put some players in there with some fight in them, who want it more than the guys who are out there, but please lets be honest Fulham were today and have been for sometime painful to watch, we are very very bad.
We have had some hard luck with injuries and the like, but some of these guys just dont care, and the others who do cannot play at this level, but we can still salvage the drop, but playing this lot will not do it, and Sanchez's speeches are not working yet.
My point again about our midfield goals scroed this year.
Jensen 2 Been out most of the season
Davies 1 Today
Diop 0
Bullard 2 Been out since our only away win against Newcastle so long ago i cannot remember when it was
Brown 0
Smertin 0

Bocanegra as scored as many goals as the whole of our midfeild put together, now theres your problem.

 

RE: Today and relegation

I agree with most of what you said, but the first part. Big Sam leaving will unsettle Bolton for their next game against a resurgent West Ham. West Ham should beat them. If they do then it really is not in our hands. I don't have faith that we will beat Liverpool. They kicked our teeth in back in December 4-0. As for Middlesbrough, our away record speaks for itself. I just hope Wigan and Charlton loose the rest of their games. I think we would be safe if that happened.

They better start playing "The Ring of Fire" in the dressing room like Wolves did this season. After they started doing that they regained composure and are likely playoff candidates in the Champ. LOL

 

perhaps i am crazy, but i think this past match was the last of the "ls experiment". and by that i mean we now COMPLETELY know who is in and who is out per se. helguson and jensen are crap and thus out. radz, demp, and aeroplane show hustle and heart and are therefore in. i know there are still countless others that are good or suck (and some of those that are good, suck), but with all the additions since the loan period there has been many questions (at least in my mind) about some players' status and roles on the team. so pretty much we know the team we need for the next two EXTREMELY pivotal games. [okay, so ls really should have found this out after we played reading, but that was then and this is now]

next weekend is a must win. i'm not kidding. we've been saying this since march but there's no way we are going to win at middlesbrough. our road record is a joke - no way am i putting faith in that. if we dont win its over for us. a draw will probably continue the agony, but it wont be enough.

west ham is on fire and thus not going to get relegated. they will beat bolton and either draw or lose to manu. charlton is pretty much done, but they may squeak something out against spurs. if they do things will get interesting (ie my ulcer get larger), but theres no way they'll win or draw at anfield. wigan can easily get 6 points or none in the next two. i really dont know about them. i know we've blown soooo many games this season, but i'll never forget being in the dublin airport at 3am one morning in october and after seeing the score thinking to myself "you dont f------ lose to wigan at home" and how that may come back to haunt us.

i still have (a little) faith that this ship can get turned around - but it sure as hell isnt going to be easy or promising.

coyw!

 

It's going to be on Setanta- kick-off is at 10 ET/9 CT. And I'm going nuts because I have a final exam at 8! (yes, on a saturday- damn school) I'm hoping it doesn't take more than 90 mins so I can at least catch the second half....

Next Saturday Setanta Schedule

 

That was truly an embarrassment.

 

Just got home from work and watched the tape. I don't think I've had a lower moment as a Fulham supporter. That win meant absoulutly nothing to them and their spoiled fans, nothing. So terribly unfair.

I don't get the Jensen backlash whatsoever. With Boa gone, he's the most skilled player on our books.

Montella should have started, thats clear, its always clear how we've now had two mangers blind to that is a mystery to me.

As for Liam, he probably said he could and wanted to continue. Sanchez took him at his word. His play didn't appear to be suffering at all. I don't see whats so criminal about this event.

 

That is what I figured as well. If that's the case, I want him on the pitch for the rest of the games. That is commitment to play dog sick.