Fulham @ Juventus

Operation 0-0 ho!

 

Feeling very 0-0 today, Juve without Buffoon among others. Go Whites!!! Still have to pinch myself where we are.

 

Oh, and shameless self-promo, but the Juve Offside blogger and I did a little e-mail exchange:

http://juventus.theoffside.com/team-new ... tinua.html

http://fulham.theoffside.com/team-news/ ... entus.html

We're two hours away and my tummy is in knots.

 

Gutted we gave up that 3rd goal in such a %$#%! way. Oh well, with as many chances as we created, 2-0 is possible 'cause we will play better defensively at the Cottage. COYW

 

You had to wonder where the wall would be for this overachieving patchwork lineup and today we found out. The regular Fulham XI, in form, probably gets a result. With half of them either out of form or out altogether, this really can't be a surprise.

I don't see us keeping a clean sheet against Juventus, they have too much class. So that means we'll need 3 goals and frankly, I don't see that either, they're too disciplined and we're too shorthanded. But we've well exceeded my expectations for our European run so it's hard to get too bent out of shape over it. Doesn't making sitting through the match any easier, but it is what it is.

The good? Dempsey's back and can start getting back into form for the stretch run and the replay v Spurs. Same with Konchesky. Hopefully Shorey can play on the right.

The interesting question is who is going to play central mid in the 2nd leg against Juve?

Oh, and mine and Don's perfect streak is over. Of course given where we were a couple of years ago, the fact that we can even have winning streaks, much less one that long, is reward enough.

 

In general I agree Ag, but even with who was out there on the pitch our D should have been better. Ouch that third goal hurt. For some time I've had my eggs in the FA Cup basket and I think I'll keep them there.

 

Great to see Dempsey back on the field, even if he didn't look tremendously sharp. Nice to see Konchesky back too.

Honestly, other than the poor defending on the corners and the ghastly defending on the goal from the run of play, I didn't think we looked out of place. I wouldn't be putting money on us in the second leg, but it's still not outside the realm of possibility that we could find a couple of goals at the Cottage.

It will be nice to see Murphy back too; Greening just plain isn't good enough.

SO frustrating to give up the goal at the end of the half. Should stoppage time have continued that long? I guess I would've wanted play to continue to that point if it had been us attacking.

 

The only thing to get riled up, or disappointed, about (your pick) is that third goal by Juve should never have been allowed to go in.

It happened at the 2:40 mark. There was only supposed to be 2mins of stoppage time.

Our “luck” and Italy…

 

Conceding 3 goals is a disappointment anywhere. But Fulham grabbed a lucky away goal, and who knows, that may be the difference. Yeah, beating Juve 2-0, even at home, is improbable, yet, not impossible. COYW!

- comma-happy since 2007.

 

We looked a ragged side and I think that showed in the D. We were caught offside, I don't know, 10+ times. Zamora was man handled again, and effectively neutralized him. Why did Brede jump out of the way of the shot (helluva goal though)?

I think the ITV announcers said they've played half a premier league season, in terms of games (19), in Europe this year. That takes a toll on any team, especially one that has been dinged up like the Whites have. Lets just hope this was one of those games where you have a let down, get it out of your system, let the pressure ease and move forward. 3 - 1 was a bit unfair, but I could not honestly say we deserved a point out of that game.

Damn good thing we got the away goal. I will be at the Cottage next Thursday with some hope of a miracle. We needed a victory in Basel and we got it, why not now? The game has got to be very close to sold out. When I bought my ticket, it was slim pick'ens.

 

One bit of solace is, from what I've been reading over at the Juve-Offside comments, that Juve played their best.

So if we play our best next week...we may just take this.

 

Really lucky to score off the deflection, but really unlucky not to tie it a few minutes later. If Brede hadn't put a great header on the corner that was saved very late by the keeper a pk would have been warranted (he was getting mauled). I respect Greening because he gives you everything he's got, but unfortunately at that level, it ain't much.