Fulham V. West Ham [R]

Between the the increased pace of the game (ball improvement included), technology available, an increase in number of refs per game seems like a natural evolution (the NBA added a ref around 6-7 years ago).

Not a conspiracy theory person, but for the calls to balance themselves out over the course of the entire season, it will have to look the refs are trying to keep us up.

The call aside, Clint should have scored (an easy chip for somebody with his ability), Green had a great save on Jimmy, Hang-man heads that ball a fraction of an inch lower on his head...

.

 

1) Dempsey has been our best player this year and was solid this weekend.
2) It was McBride's 1st start since a MAJOR knee injury.
3) EJ has played 15 minutes in the Prem, I think it's too early to judge anything.

 

Something that was driving me nuts about that game was the ball seemed to go to West Ham all the time - any deflection, bad pass by West Ham, etc... seemed to go to their players. It was depressing. Not only that, they were hustling for the loose balls and winning them too.

It seemed as though at the 65th minute and on, we lost control of the middle of the midfield. It seemed like they were going right up the gut to create an attack. Given their limited conversion rate, we may be in trouble when a better team capitalizes on this issue.

I was confused by the EJ substitution. I was thinking that maybe we would put EJ up front to run off of McBride flicks, and go back to 4 midfielders. But what happens, Dempsey comes off. I was flabbergasted. Right before that substitution, Dempsey and Bullard did a switch/overlap with Dempsey playing a nice ball to Bullard running through on the left. I would have taken Murphy off and sent EJ up front telling Bullard and Andreason to sort out the middle.

I am all for replay especially when it is a game changing decision. When I first saw the goal, I could not even see what happened given the tv angle. I did see that the Hammer hammered our keeper. I would have been much happier with replay and one point.

 

Two and a half days have passed and I still haven't sorted out what I think about the match. Part of me thinks we didn't deserve the loss because the goal should have been disallowed. Part of me thinks we didn't deserve to win or even draw becasue we just didn't create enough chances and I truly thought West Ham dominated most of the second half.

Something has to change now if we are to avoid relagation.

 

"Something has to change now if we are to avoid relagation."

This statement creates horror (not harmony) in my head as FFC has made numerous changes to the club in the past 1.5 months, yet the shitty results haven't changed.

I look at it as thus: either the sun shines on FFC's dog-ass in the next 8 weeks or I get to support Fulham away to Palace next year (and that conflict is a true dilemma in my family).

On another note, I don't find taunts of "You're going down with County" to be very amusing at all.

 

I haven't even been able to log on to the site until just now after that gut wrencher on Saturday. The only thing I want to comment on is the lack of that final ball in the oppositions 3rd. The build-up is there. The tenacity in midfield is there (Thank you Andreason). The overlapping runs from the Fullbacks are there. We're doing everything it takes to play quality passing football except for getting opportunities. When we get the ball up in the final 3rd, we end up with some stupid giveaway and no shot. What do we have to do to fix this?

 

It usually takes a while for attacking players to click with each other. Sometimes it never happens, but when it does it can be magical. Jimmy, Clint, Brian, and Eddie could, with time, turn into an amazing strike force. Do we have time or .................

 

http://cravencottagenewsround.files.wor ... /nobby.jpg

look at that

 

that photo elicits further anger...simply atrocious.

 

Photo looks like a jiu jitsu competition.

 

And even if it wasn't a foul, he swatted the ball in with his arm!