Fulham (a) Post Match Insanity Thread

[pondus]

Degen appeal against the red card rejected. Wasn't the ref told he was not refereeing in the prem next weekend? Why was he punished, if it wasn't for his mistakes?

[dww]

OK so now everyone has calmed down a bit could I ask a few questions because I didn't see the game:

1/ Were we actually bad or was it simply a bad result. I was following the game for a bit on SSN and it appeared to say we had 75%+ possession in the first half for example. I have read comments like 'we didn't look like a team' which from the stat above looks an unlikely conclusion (we must to some degree lack a cutting edge obviously).

2/ Was the defence often caught out as a unit or were the goals the result of individual errors?

Several times in recent seasons I think we have turned the corner with possession based performances that haven't necessarily resulted in good results. It's the ability to play games from a base of ordered possession and organised movement that has been key. If we managed at least part of this against Fulham then I think we might go forward strongly - if not then I worry.

[DannyMan2006]

OK so now everyone has calmed down a bit could I ask a few questions because I didn't see the game:

1/ Were we actually bad or was it simply a bad result. I was following the game for a bit on SSN and it appeared to say we had 75%+ possession in the first half for example. I have read comments like 'we didn't look like a team' which from the stat above looks an unlikely conclusion (we must to some degree lack a cutting edge obviously).

2/ Was the defence often caught out as a unit or were the goals the result of individual errors?

Several times in recent seasons I think we have turned the corner with possession based performances that haven't necessarily resulted in good results. It's the ability to play games from a base of ordered possession and organised movement that has been key. If we managed at least part of this against Fulham then I think we might go forward strongly - if not then I worry.

Dave, it was mixed bag of a team and from I heard (I too didn't see the match and I have no wish to watch it now!) we over ran Fulham in the first half. They had one shot on goal and scored - due to errors from Kyrgiakos and Insua. At half time every man and his dog said we would go on to win the game if we played the same way.

In the second half the two substitutions brought on by Fulham changed the game. Gera and Nevland gave outstanding performances according to 5live and listening to the game they played key parts - It was Geras header that set up Nevalnd for the second goal. After that it all went wrong with players getting sent off.

From everything I heard Liverpool deserved a draw, though Fulham were the better team in the second half.

[dww]

Cheers for that Danny.

[pondus]

In the first half we had all the possession, but we rarely threatened, whereas they looked dangerous on the counter. How we didn't manage to create more with all that possession still baffles me, still we could easily have been two goals up at half time.

Second half was just chaos, I had to text a friend asking "what just happened there?" after the match. They made some inspiring substitutions, although I didn't think they played that well overall, they still created more than us. Our substitutions, I feel, gave them real belief that they could go on and win this, and the sendings off didn't help either.

I have to buy a new living-room table, as I punched it so hard it broke when number 9 came up on the board. Wife is not happy

[dww]

In the first half we had all the possession, but we rarely threatened, whereas they looked dangerous on the counter. How we didn't manage to create more with all that possession still baffles me, still we could easily have been two goals up at half time.

The first part of this makes me feel positive. there have been endless times in the past where people have called for Rafa's head after that sort of performance but I always think of it as the first building block towards Rafa getting the team sorted. We tend to build on those performances and add a cutting edge. The second is less welcome as all season we have been systematically susceptible to counter attacks and if we are to pick up form I think it is the first thing we need to improve upon.