My Match Breakdown - vs Barnsley

[YankeeJim]

Matt, great read. Thanks for putting in the work.

As a side note, what did you ever do to Statto, he seems to lie in wait for any comments you make. Perhaps he should take off that hair shirt and respond thoughtfully instead of with imagined slights.

Oh come on, you must see some of the condescension in the OP post?

No, I can't, really. One sees what one wants. Two people say the same thing and someone can take offense or think it is a vintage Churchill speech depending on their pre-conceived notions. Statto seems to be in the former category when it comes to Matt. I could be wrong. It is simply my opinion. Much as Matt voiced his. Statto is entitled to his opinion as are you. As is Matt. As am I. I saw nothing directed at any individual until Statto made accusations. We should be talking football (which is the way I read Matt's post) not making every disagreement into a personal battle.

[Statto]

Matt, great read. Thanks for putting in the work.

As a side note, what did you ever do to Statto, he seems to lie in wait for any comments you make. Perhaps he should take off that hair shirt and respond thoughtfully instead of with imagined slights.

Oh come on, you must see some of the condescension in the OP post?

No, I can't, really. One sees what one wants. Two people say the same thing and someone can take offense or think it is a vintage Churchill speech depending on their pre-conceived notions. Statto seems to be in the former category when it comes to Matt. I could be wrong. It is simply my opinion. Much as Matt voiced his. Statto is entitled to his opinion as are you. As is Matt. As am I. I saw nothing directed at any individual until Statto made accusations. We should be talking football (which is the way I read Matt's post) not making every disagreement into a personal battle.

To repeat, not my "opinion" or "seeing what I want". Google the definition of disrespectful and explain to all those who disagree with the OP how him saying their opinion is the product of "stubornness" and a "linear mindset" is respectful.

Not a "personal battle" either, just a recurring issue that I've called out.

[Milo]

I am glad to see some analysis of the performance, and some suggestions as to where we can improve. Hopefully we get some good discussion on the points rather than just arguing for pages about some of the language used.

[AnOldBrownie]

Gotta love this forum.  :wine:

[colinwhite]

I think Matts summary is exactly that, his take on things and his attempt to be objective. Some  points I agree with and some not just like everybody else.Those people who question that should offer counter arguments if there is a discussion to be had otherwise sadly it just becomes about feeding or defending your own ego. Interesting that those feeling put upon rarely offer any real football observations of their own.

[toshes mate]

I have now watched most of this game three times and whilst I am impressed with the length and detail of Matt10's breakdown the content of it does grate and potentially offend when read as an attempt to re-educate us about what we see happening with our own eyes week in, week out. 

In his first paragraph, for example, Matt10 writes along lines of  'I have a problem because [people on here] go into meltdown ...'.  My retort is that it is sometimes okay to go into meltdown when you believe the abuses inflicted upon your senses by a football coach has gone on for long enough with absolutely no sign of positive change coming with it.  Perhaps coaches over complicates things in much the way an article written on why they do what they do may turn out.  A better version of coaching may be 'You get the bloody ball. You pass and move, pass and move, pass and move until you see their goal. Then you kick the bloody ball as hard as you bloody can past their bloody 'keeper.' which was my introduction to football one afternoon on a London common.  It still works even to this day.           

[RaySmith]

But these very experienced players of Fulham must surely have a  very good  knowledge of footballing basics, as does the manager with his extensive experience in the game.

I think the expectations around playing at home against the side  bottom of the table - who actually played very well, and got about us - caused anxiety in the players . We weren't on our normal game, which, you must admit, usually includes at least periods of often brilliant, close passing football, with  many chances created, if not  taken.

But it was keeping errors that undid us, though Rodak was obviously not the only player performing poorly on the day, but once we went a goal down, against team playing as it was their Cup Final, we found it hard to get back into the game, in  very windy conditions - which were the same for both teams admittedly.

But fans talk of lack of effort or footballing nous, but I don't think it's about this.  Have you
never experienced  a day when you are very stressed about something, and  do familiar things all wrong and are accident prone? You try hard but nothing flows for you.

Footballers, however much they are paid, are not immune to anxiety and stress which can strongly affect their performance. In fact. their's is a far more stressful occupation than  most of us experience. You are judged by performance on the day, and the result, every time you go to work. And there are a lot more people  judging you, on  often very harsh criteria, than when i began watching the game. Then you might say about a player who had  poor game -'well, he did his best.'
Now  he would be called 'an overpaid, lazy, useless piece of  s***, who doesn't give a f*** about the fans who pay his wages. And as for the crap manager meant to be motivating these primma donnas.......!'

Matt's view  is his view, and he cites chapter and verse, to give a very interesting take on the game, which isn't just down to 'we played crap, and the manager is useless and should be sacked, and the players don't give a s***, and can't even  do the footballing basics.'

Well we all have opinions don't we? and that's what the forum is all about.

Matt takes the time and effort to do a detailed analysis of the game -an objective analysis as far as he is concerned, and i don't find him condescending at all, though i do find some other posters condescending!

That's my opinion anyway - people are free to scroll over it, which I'm sure many do.

[colinwhite]

Well said Ray . Agree 100 per cent

[b+w geezer]

"..a take on the game, which isn't just down to 'we played crap, and the manager is useless and should be sacked, and the players don't give a s***, and can't even  do the footballing basics.'

You may be rated offensive for implying that is what some other posters are like.  As a rare visitor (attracted here by the rare detail in Matt's post) I truly wouldn't know, but at TIFF, which I do know about, the cap does fit some. Including me sometimes! Especially when exiting in the rain from a shocking performance by my team. I'd go so far as to venture that anyone immune from those reactions can't have been watching live football for long. Or is a saint.

To imply we ought to be saints would be irritating on anyone's part, but that doesn't mean that a calm detailed inquest afterwards shouldn't be appreciated.

[F(f)CUK]

I have a shorter bit of analysis-

After 33 minutes we had a shot that almost went down the stairs in the furthest corner of the Putney End.  That was the closest that we had come up to that point.  Our dismal first half performance meant that our boys appeared to be given a roasting at half time and ran around with much more vigour.  Then Rodak decides to play sweeper and we were finished.

Basically, a series of half chances and pressure was all we got in the second half.  Our defending became suicidal as we pressed to get back into the game.  We were regularly exposed and Barnsley could have scored more.

[YankeeJim]

Matt, great read. Thanks for putting in the work.

As a side note, what did you ever do to Statto, he seems to lie in wait for any comments you make. Perhaps he should take off that hair shirt and respond thoughtfully instead of with imagined slights.

Oh come on, you must see some of the condescension in the OP post?

No, I can't, really. One sees what one wants. Two people say the same thing and someone can take offense or think it is a vintage Churchill speech depending on their pre-conceived notions. Statto seems to be in the former category when it comes to Matt. I could be wrong. It is simply my opinion. Much as Matt voiced his. Statto is entitled to his opinion as are you. As is Matt. As am I. I saw nothing directed at any individual until Statto made accusations. We should be talking football (which is the way I read Matt's post) not making every disagreement into a personal battle.

To repeat, not my "opinion" or "seeing what I want". Google the definition of disrespectful and explain to all those who disagree with the OP how him saying their opinion is the product of "stubornness" and a "linear mindset" is respectful.

Not a "personal battle" either, just a recurring issue that I've called out.

Perhaps it is just the way you approach things mate. I believe Shakespeare wrote a play about it: "Much Ado About Nothing".

[Statto]

Perhaps it is just the way you approach things 

It isn't, as I've explained in the posts you're replying to. But we've clearly reached the ceiling of your intellect so let's leave it there.
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[BarryP]

Definition of condescending
: showing or characterized by a patronizing or superior attitude toward others

[Burt]

Come on now, put the handbags down, let's get a round in, and let's get back to discussing whether you agree with Matt's analysis of the match.

[YankeeJim]

Sorry Burt. I find the pettiness of having to be childishly right tiresome.
I'll put my handbag away.
I wonder if Statto's has sequins?

[Fulham1959]

What does 'double-teamed' mean ?

[itombomb]

"Last mention of 4-2-3-1 change is that we now have the numbers both centrally and on the wing. Knockaert and Sess overlapping and underlapping, breaking down the double team pressure again and again. Pair that up with the mobility of BDR, and goodness me, we're a force to be reckoned with."

Wow, that's certainly one view of things.

But any way, on your conclusion of results v performance, the key is viewing the performance in context not in isolation. Every time we've come up against a decently coached team they've done the same things as Barnsley - press high as a team while ensuring their full-backs are never left one on one. Barnsley didn't do anything new, but the way we were set up the players once again had no idea what to do. The fact we've done nothing to change/improve the way we play is damning.

And while I get things are subjective, I'm astonished that one of your continued refrains is that 'we're moving the ball at pace'. Players are hitting quick passes, trusting their teammates control yes, but you compare the way we had players holding onto the ball and taking multiple touches to Barnsley's two-touch approach and it's night and day, particularly as so few passes were progressive (rather you tend to have 2 or 3 players passing between themselves in an area of the pitch until we lose it) - largely because the midfield, wingers and mitro were all so isolated from one another.

On your praise of the formation changes, it's probably also worth flagging how vulnerable they left us. You are right that BDR, Cav and to a degree AK all had more of an impact in the last half hour - but it is vital to acknowledge that is when the 'system' was ignored and players were given (or took) more license to play fluidly.

[YankeeJim]

What does 'double-teamed' mean ?

Two defenders closing down one attacker?

[70sPimlico]

What does 'double-teamed' mean ?

Two defenders closing down one attacker?

Something that has confused me is that opposition double up on both wide players, double up on Mitro and sort of one and a half up on TC, yet all our other players never have any time or space.

I'm going to count the Derby players on the pitch on Friday. Something is afoot.

[Dr Quinzel]

What does 'double-teamed' mean ?

Two defenders closing down one attacker?

Something that has confused me is that opposition double up on both wide players, double up on Mitro and sort of one and a half up on TC, yet all our other players never have any time or space.

I'm going to count the Derby players on the pitch on Friday. Something is afoot.

Could be that they press more efficiently and have the intelligence, fitness and speed to shift side to side so they are always doubling up.

It's also possible that it is in part due to our own lack of movement in the central midfield positions in that Onomah and TC don't run in behind often, so it is less likely they receive balls in space or force the opposition into falling out of their doubling up. I'm not sure if I've worded that well enough, but you may follow?