Right-i-o, I'm gonna start this ball rolling and then shut down for a few days. Last season we looked like unmitigated crap home and away against a woeful set of zebras. The season before, they had a much better side and we did the double on them. So, what do ya reckon? Lineups? Scores? Moans in Advance? Let's hope for a full house and some very angry, very ready Mighty Whites. GET SOME MAGPIES!
If the Whites don't win, I'll be irate to say the least. That's about all I have to say. I'm getting tired of Roy's slow and steady approach. I still have some confidence in what he's doing but right now it's wearing thin.
Roy has kept the same lineup for how many matches? So - whatever - Keep it the same if you are that committed to 'your' players, but if you are not winning, or down a goal - bring Demps in around the 55th - dont wait till the 60th, 65th, or even the 70th. I dont have any confidence that he will do this, so I see this as another draw. I hope I am wrong.
Keyser Soze and the usual suspects are the starters. My humble request: may a starter score from the run of play. Subs will be, ahh #$%@, they'll probably be introduced too late to make a difference anyway. I anticipate at least a point, but three is attainable despite Newcastle's recent form and it would be gravy. 1-1.
Newcastle won again last night...with Barton putting in another good effort and helping produce the goals. This game isn't going to be easy but we can win it. I expect the same line up from last week BUT I ask that Dempsey starts instead of Gera. Throw Demps on the right and Davies on the left. As mentioned in the Everton/Fulham thread, I was very dissapointed with Gera's tackling and have been disappointed throughout the season by his missed chances (most recently that open header against the Toffies)...he needs to start converting.
I cannot stand to lose to a team with Barton, but I watch Newcastle play waiting to see what he will do next. Reminds me of Nuke Lalouche - $1M arm but a $.05 head.
Considering the ebb and flow of this league, this the right time when Newcastle comes back down to earth. Joe Kinnear has lit a fire under that club that needs to be stomped out on Sunday. And I like everyone else have no faith in our manager to do just that.
Lets talk about attacking... Lets say RH wants to make 3 attacking changes in the final 30-40 minutes. Who comes on, and who goes?
Dempsey, Nevland & Seol? As for the match, recent form would dictate Newcastle but with that disfunctional bunch and our less passive play (and better sub patterns) at home, I think we'll nick the 3 points. 2-1 Whites.
Re: RE: FFC v. ToonTown [R] You're exactly right. His ego won't let him start Demps over Gera because that would be admitting he made a mistake.
RE: Re: RE: FFC v. ToonTown [R] I am really trying to sort out who comes off. I think you leave Zamora and Johnson on. I do not believe that Nevland is a better answer. What is up with Kamara? Hurt? So the changes have to come in the midfield: The obvious choice is Gera. Demps comes on for him. Who else? Murphy and Bullard are not going to win any footraces. Davies is capable of great things - but from the wing? I am not convinced. You could pull a defender and go to 5 in the mid or 3 up top... I like the idea of going to a 3-4-1-2. That should open up the wings and provide opportunities to keep possession in the center mid while still giving the help needed for the back line. So - I think you bring Davies into the center with Bullard and (?). Then you have Demps on the outside and maybe Seol? I kind of liked the pace of Bouazza, but he is out on loan... He could be a good late sub on the outside that could cause some problems. Part of the problem here is that we are not seeing any of the bench in an attacking way to find out if these guys could give the team the spark they need. I dont know - What do you think?
RE: Re: RE: FFC v. ToonTown [R] Kamara has a knee injury. The last report I read indicated that he would be back on the training pitch around Christmas.
Broken record time...our veteran midfielders need to rise to the occasion and give Bobby and AJ some damn service yada yada yada. No need to ask for a change that won't be coming, even though a Leon v Barton matchup (or punch-up) would be fun to watch. Martins' pace is scary and jailbird Joey is capable of bossing the midfield so the Aussie will need to be at his best. This one will be tight, but isn't it time the guys in white strike in the final moments for the 3 points for a change??? P.S. Didn't Seol go back to S.Korea last week for family matters?
I'm feeling optimistic about this one. As was mentioned before, it won't be an easy game to win but it's do-able for sure. I have a feeling that we'll see the same starters as always, even though I'd personally like to see Dempsey in for Gera. I don't think it has a lot to do with Roy's ego as much as it does his belief in the system and who he believes would work best in the system if they'd execute when given the opportunity. When you look at it objectively, the system created a number of scoring changes against Everton ... our boys just couldn't convert. As the manager it's Roy's job to recognize when people aren't producing and change them out, but I don't think it's necessarily fair to say that the lack of a change is egotistical. I was good and pissed off after the Everton game, but I still have faith in Roy and think that they'll come good on Sunday. To answer Jenser's question ... If we go down a goal or Roy is looking to be more attacking I'd like to switch from this lineup ... ................ Schwarzer ................. Pantsil .. Hughes .. Hange .. Konch Davies .. Murphy .. Bullard .. Gera ......... Zamora ... AJ .................... to this lineup ... ................ Schwarzer ................ Pantsil .. Hughes .. Hange .. Konch ............... Andreasen ................. ........Dempsey ........ Bullard ....... Nevland ......... AJ ........... Zamora just a thought ...
Barring injury, there will be no change in the Fulham starting lineup. The barcodes are on a bit of a resurgence as of late, but a beatable team nontheless. Martins will be the man to watch as he has a nose for the goal and the pace to get in behind the defense. I've began to grow increasingly dissapointed with the play of Bullard lately and I'm hoping the errant shots into the stands are kept to a minimum. Fulham really need Jimmy to step up his game and fill in that playmaking role. Let's hope his return to form begins this weekend...
Other than one cracking goal to begin the season, Gera's been on a downward trend when it comes to finishing and playmaking, and Clint's game has been improving. Most manager's want to play the player with the "hot hand," right? As far as the rest of the lineup, a dedicated defensive mid is exactly what Fulham needs. It helps stabilize the backline, and frees up attacking options to go forward.
It's not just Gera - the entire midfield (possible exception of Murphy) and our fullbacks have been trending downward a bit. While I like having a set best XI, I also believe that some squad rotation is necessary to keep everyone fresh. Most of our starting lineup could use a breather.
