Fulham away to Swansea

I thought Meulensteens subs were fine, it's just that he took out the wrong players. Dejagah was my man of the match up until he was subbed. Dempsey was looking like the one most likely to score up until he came out. We were clearly outclassed once the Bent substitution was made and it became only a matter of time before Swansea put the game away. I think I've come to the conclusion that Berbatov has to go. I really cant believe I'm saying that because for several years he has been my favorite player to watch on the entire planet. He is poetry in motion, but for some reason the deeper we get into the relegation fight the less that becomes true. And it's not as if he isnt trying. To me it looks like he is putting in the effort, but his touch and class just isnt what it normaly is. I have to wonder if he doesnt have the mental toughness and confidence to handle a relegation fight. Perhaps his soccer career has been too easy up until this point. Like Aggie said, Bent should have come on for Berbatov. I also dont understand why Kasami didnt feature. Did he play too much on Sunday that he couldnt handle 20 minutes against Swansea? I would like to see Kasami and Dempsey on the field at the same time now that Dempsey is looking more like he back to 100%.

While it is frustrating because of the obvious things that are wrong and because we look so dire when we have the likes of Bent, Berbatov, Parker, and Dempsey on our side, I'm not giving up yet. Why? Our defense is finally looking more than competent. The two goals Swansea scored were both deflections and to some extent unlucky. Dan Burn is a phenom. I cant believe that kid and how mature he is. I love watching him play. Richardson has had several good matches at LB now so that position is looking better. Yes he was torched by Dyer a few times but he had fresh legs and could do that to a lot of LB in the league. My number one problem with what is going on is that Kasami has to be in the starting line-up. I'm not sure exactly how you do that because it makes so much sense to have Sidwell, Parker and Dempsey as starters. I guess you drop Dempsey but then I want to see them play together :angry-banghead:. Anyway it has to be possible to get this team clicking. I'll give it one more match before I say "enough"

 

Sure, fine, I find nothing wrong with people running around and putting the ball into a net.

I just find pretty much everything else surrounding this activity to be hopelessly corrupt, opaque, Luddite, and woefully predictable—far, far beyond the idiocies and hubris of Bud Selig (and recently the BBWAA); or even the callous greed of the NFL—and that in turn is effecting my ability to conjure up a damn about this club's trials. I don't get how anyone can divorce those two.

 

Well, I am a newcomer to all this...I started following soccer and Fulham in 2006. It appears that this year I am going to get my first experience of relegation, and learn what it is like to follow a second-division team. <sigh>

 

Who knew a 2-0 mid-week loss (usually people want to forget it as soon as possible) would generate the fantastic posts above. Timmy; opaque and luddite in the same sentence? :clap: Reminded me of the Kill Bill movie scene where Daryl Hannah talks about the word gargantuan 'love the word, so rarely get to use it in a sentence'. I share much of your sentiments, and while I do enjoy watching football and will always support Fulham, it's a tough pill to swallow knowing how predictable the European leagues are. The announcers talk about 'glory, history, honor, etc..', but when all those leagues are basically caste systems, do those superlatives apply when it's only 2 or 3 teams that can win?? As a huge sports fan and with plenty of other teams in other sports that aren't exactly juggernauts, there is one word that applies to them that seem to be missing with regards to Fulham these days and that word is 'hope'. HD, even the Astros have hope with the #1 prospect in all of baseball (a shortstop) on the near horizon.

At least for me the fact it's been the final 2 months last season and almost this whole campaign where my favorite team has been truly awful that has had a draining effect. When entertainment becomes drudgery you tend to want to take a step back.

 

Sadly just watched the table on the BBC Sport site update at the end of today's games. West Ham got a point at Stamford Bridge, and Sunderland defeated Stoke. Both climbed over us on the table, leaving us in 19th.