Fulham @ Sunderland [R]

I agree with you about October being a soft portion of the schedule just like the run in is. Fulham is in trouble for sure, but I'm not entirely disturbed by it. I think the team has played well for the most part and has't gotten trounced once. It should have picked up wins against Middlesbrough (definitely a draw), Wigan, and now Sunderland but it didn't and so Fulham will ride near or in the relegation zone for the next few months.

The thing is that none of this should be unexpected. Experts picked Fulham to come in 16th or 17th this season. Although there's all the talk of a top-10 or Euro-place finish, that wasn't very likely to happen and shouldn't have been expected this year because of how good the league is. You can't just expect to beat people left and right if you're Fulham because the team just isn't good enough yet.

 

Disappointed is an understatement... I was waiting in the airport waiting to fly back to London and I see the Fulham v. Sunderland score scroll across the bottom. My hand instantaneously slaps my forehead in disgust. What is happening to Fulham? They've captured only two points out of the relatively "easy" past two fixtures. My confidence in Fulham staying up this season is being tested.

The brief highlights that I saw showed Healy miss a gaping goal and Kamara's goal was disallowed for some apparent reason. Anyone care to explain why it was disallowed? Then a ten man Sunderland side, TEN MEN, nips the equaliser with 4 minutes left to play. There were three defenders around Jones... How do they not close him down?

How did Omozusi perform?

The Reading match is vital and I sincerely hope that Reading can remedy this string of poor results.

PS. The Celtic v. Motherwell match was brilliant, but the Celtic supporters are like Church mice. I heard maybe two songs from them and the Motherwell supporters were jumping, singing and shouting the entire match. They can't hold a candle to the support Fulham receives at Craven Cottage... especially from H5.

 

Well, I'd like to give you my thoughts especially since I made the long trip to the Sunderland scumland.

First the negatives:
To play such a solid defensive game and give up a late goal was gutting...we all know that, but I would've taken a point before kick off.

Healy: I know why he missed that goal...he simply was suprised that it had come but a man of his reputation shouldn't be missing them. He hasn't been the same since the 'goal' against Boro.

The refereeing: Now I'm not a conspiracy theorist by any means but I am done with how Fulham has been treated by these so called professionals. They once again cost us a goal and for those who missed it, the media here is going on about Kamara's goal and how they don't understand what was wrong with it. I am writing a letter to the FA and will be writing an open letter via FulhamUSA and using my contacts at soccernet because I am sick of it and had enough. Is it because Fulham is a 'small' club or is it the Diana inquest?? Never in my career playing soccer or watching it have I seen a team so hard done. Words cannot explain how angry I am.

Boca received a yellow: This means he can't play next weekend so now I will pay a dollar to the person who figures out who is going to play left back next week!

Now the positives:

We gained a point away from home

We played a good game for 90 minutes

Omozusi, our 18 year old right back, did a solid job (minus the one gaff at the end) and should be proud of himself. Well done Elliot.

Kamara looked a threat (and should've had a goal..grrrrrrrr)

Davies goal...Wooohoo!

Fulham fans were superb. Not many in number (Sunderland is along way away and a dire place) but I hear we were heard on the telly and I have to say it was a great away trip, as they usually are).

 

well said mike. i agree/behind you 100% with everything you wrote. you actually spelled out what i was and am still feeling, whereas i simply typed "whatever, whatever, WHATEVER"

 

You could hear the Fulham fans on the TV. Sunderland fans seemed to just yell... like at Diomansy Kamara. They LOVED him.

Kamara's goal was disallowed because the ref called a foul about 2 or 3 seconds before he scored. The whistle blew first... but it wasn't much of a foul. He just got himself between the ball and the defender, but I guess he touched him when he did it. Could have not been called.

Greg Halford is a loser. He bumped Dempsey while on the ground after Dempsey went to ground once, but only after Halford mauled him. Treated Dempsey like he as Portuguese or something.

Omozusi did well. He got into the mix. Hughes did a good job helping him out, telling him what to do and what not. It was his fault Anthony Stokes had the goal at his mercy, but Niemi did well to narrow the angle. He's not a big guy. He's probably smaller than Rosenior. He did play better than Zat Knight played against Bolton. Knight was god awful.

What might have cost Fulham as playing the midfield so deep most of the secon half. I don't know if he did this to protect Omozusi or just to hold on to the lead, but it allowed Sunderland to keep putting in efforts on goal and one finally got in. Kamara just about put the game away though.

 

Its gutting to lose late like that but I don't fault the performance today. There was no sound on in the pub and I'm still stumped about Kamara's goal being disallowed. I felt we were the better team till the last 10 minutes and they were able to nick one off a set piece.

We've struggled to find the points so far and so have seven other teams who are below us. The Primer League is tough, thats the fact. The luck has been nonexistent this season and at some point it will come.

Omuzi looked great until the end when the pressure seemed to get to him, on one occasion getting skined and nearly costing us a point. Nothing we haven't seen from Baird 10 or 12 times this season. I'm optimistic about him. Nemi is back in form which is a relief.

 

I'm sick!!! A man advantage with the lead, and we cannot win. @#$^@#@%@#$%!#$@#^!#$!@$%^@$%!^@^&*($^!~!~@#$~$^@^@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Can't Stefanovic play left back?

Anyways, look at the schedule, if we don't beat Reading next week, we've got 5 difficult games, none of which I can see us winning.

 

Simon Elliott isn't Welsh.

 

According to Gentleman Jim, Stefanovich played a great match.

When we got Hughes, didn't LS say he could play anywhere in the back four? I imagine he'll play LB next week, although that opens up the question of who will pair with Stefanovich at CB. Maybe Baird and keep Omozusi at RB?

I don't know. I'm grasping at straws. The last 10 minutes of that match were so depressing.

 

I guess it's only during those massive European nights (and the derby matches against 'ra Gers) that the atmosphere at Celtic Park becomes electrifying.


We best get all three points out of the next match.

 

I just saw some highlights of the game - Healy - DOH! He gets paid millions... I mean honestly!

Dempsey is going to have to start finding the net with his head. Contact is not enough if he cant have any control. Hopefully Brian's return can take care of some of that.

That being said - I didnt know that the 3rd kit changed to an all blue affair. I liked them - Probably going to have to get me one.

 

As a side note, I thought Kuqi did a solid job as a sub and won lots of headers. Also, he is absolutely huge! Like two McBrides.

 

lol Don

 

Is Boca hurt? Or in the dog house?

 

Boca's out due to an accumulation of yellows. Predicting whose going to be back there Sat. is a brain scrambler. For that dollar Mike has for the winning backline combination I'm guessing the following:

Stef Hughes Baird Omuzusi

 

Ah crap, the one game I'm going to see and McHead and KK are hurt, Boca is suspended, and there's certainly the possibility that the Deuce won't play. So not fair!