Tag Archives: Hangeland

The View from South Texas — Fulham FC v. Chelsea

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by HatterDon

Tame Fulham Surrender Meekly to The Undead

Today, Fulham hosted a match-weary Chelsea at The Cottage and, before a nearly packed house allowed the visitors to stroll to the easy victory they sorely needed in their drive to finish in the top four. Three goals by Chelsea’s two central defenders – only one of them from a set piece – did the trick, and with the loss, Fulham have now garnered one point from their last three matches. The Whites are the Premier League’s form team no longer.

Ah, but it might have been so different. For the first 20-25 minutes of the match, Chelsea looked toothless – little cohesion between defense and attack, and giving the ball away all too easily. They looked listless and cautious. By contrast, Fulham were spraying the ball all over the park and creating chances. Ruiz, Berbatov, and Karagounis scorned full or half chances, but Fulham looked to be in an attacking mood, with the always impressive Sascha Riether the most potent force up the right wing. One could have found himself wondering what Fulham could do in this mood with Ashkan Dejagah prowling the right in cahoots with Riether. But then … .

Totally against the run of play, Fulham found themselves behind. David Luiz, certainly the most interesting central defender in the league, looked to be no danger to a well-organized Fulham midfield and defense when on the half hour he launched a screamer from fully 40 yards into the upper right corner of Mark Schwarzer’s net. Nobody was at fault with the goal. You kind of hope that opposing central defenders will decide to shoot from that range. And Fulham were behind 0-1.

When a few spirited attempts for a quick equalizer suddenly petered out, Fulham fell back to playing ball control. Facing a side that had played 12 matches in six weeks [while Fulham had played 5], Fulham became content to string pass after pass along the midfield and then check back and let the central defenders play a one-two before going back to the same routine. When Chelsea screwed up a corner just before half time, John Terry remained in the Fulham penalty area. Instead of moving quickly to take advantage of Chelsea’s aging, slowing captain being so far out of position, Fulham instead began their agonizingly slow and steady progression up the field. When the ball was finally lost, Terry was right where he stood when his side took the corner. One quick pass and Terry left Riether for dead, sneaked behind Senderos and scored with a well-taken header. 0-2 just before the half. If there was anyone in the park that didn’t believe that the three points were gone for good, he must have been deluding himself.

Terry added a third in the second half, leaping between Senderos and Riether – the latter was ready to clear Fernando Torres shot off the line – to head home from about 6 inches. Schwarzer didn’t stand a chance with any of the goals. Fulham? Fulham made a few forays up the field as Chelsea contented themselves to inviting attack and then quickly countering. Senderos should have pulled one back but for a heroic goal-line block by his teammate, Mladen Petrić. And that was it.

Chelsea, who hadn’t won a league match on the road for three months, walked [and I do mean WALKED] away with the easiest three points they’ll have in a long time. And, yes, I know the difference in the cost between the two match day squads, but the truth is that Fulham drew their last four matches with the other team in Fulham – two and perhaps three of those matches could easily have been Chelsea defeats. They were exhausted from their efforts in three different competitions, and are desperately trying to fight off efforts by Arsenal and Tottenham to deprive them of eligibility to participate in the Champions League. They were nervous, slow-witted, and fully at sixes and sevens, and … .

An attacking team that counts on speed and width could easily have dominated the Chelsea of the first 25 minutes of the match. Attacks up the wing, simple running of the channels could have spread their defense and made them more easy to turn – more apt to make critical mistakes. Chelsea was there to be taken by a team that pushes up wide and quickly, that stretches the defense, that drives to the dead ball line. But Martin Jol Sexy Football © doesn’t allow for that. No, in order to play MJSF, you must move upfield carefully and, at the first sight of a defender stop short. Instead of putting that defender under pressure, you must check back and pass sideways or – preferably backwards . In MJSF, the traditional “slow, slow, quick-quick, slow” football interpretive dance must be performed as “slow, slow, slower-slower, slowest.” It is a prayer come true for tired, jaded defenders and midfielders and especially for aging, half-speed central defenders.

So, we lost, and if we play like that against Arsenal – just as hungry for points and not nearly so tired, we’ll get smashed by them as well.

Quick snapshots department.
1.   This was Hangeland’s second sub-standard match in a row. Was his dramatic return to form just a short good patch of play? Is the poor play we saw so much of in late 2012 now the norm?
2.   I absolutely hate the fact that the Petrić that I’ve been calling for to get a chance was nothing short of horrid on the day.
3.   Why was our first substitution made at the expense of our most sure footed defender? Riise was excellent today. I hope not to hear any more calls for him to be rested.
4.   Somewhat related, I immediately understood why Jol converted Emanuelson from a left back to a midfielder.
5.   It was cruel to bring on Frei so late and have him run the left wing. We could have used his pace and his natural attacking instinct on the right wing and from the very beginning.

Things I am tired of seeing over and over that I saw again today:
1.   Berbatov STANDING 10 yards from a loose ball and making not the slightest move to win it.
2.   Karagounis auditioning for RADA. I know that everybody loves his all out effort, and the Ancient Greek does take a good free kick/corner, but his histrionics, his constant wailing and moaning, AND his diving should be an embarrassment to Fulham and its supporters. You’ve got game, dammit; play football like a man.

Oh, and there is no Man of the Match when we lose 0-3 to The Undead.

Grumble, grumble.

The View from South Texas — Newcastle United v. Fulham FC

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by HatterDon

Fulham So Close to Stealing a Point at St. James’s

If there is a team that Fulham can feel confident playing away, it’s Newcastle United. If there’s a team that Newcastle do NOT want to play with relegation in the conversation, it’s Fulham. Add these two sentences to one pointing out that Fulham are in the best form in three seasons, and you figure that the Barcodes are going to be in for long day. And they were.

Fulham started calmly and efficiently – challenging everywhere on the pitch and stringing together passes in the double digits. Berbatov, who has been in choice form himself, had Fulham’s and the game’s first opportunity to score after 5 minutes. He slapped a shot with the outside of his right boot that beat the keeper but not the cross bar. Fulham had a couple of other “almost” chances for a goal, both involving Berbatov. The first came from a cross from Riether that only a single toe of an extended boot stopped from rolling to our unmarked striker. Another chance came with a cross from Duff that looked to be cleared by a Newcastle defender. Berbatov saw this and moved quickly to challenge for the second ball, only to see the defender miss it and the ball fall exactly where he’d been standing.

And then there was the goalmouth scramble that resulted in a close-in save from a stabbed effort by Manolev. Mostly, though, and especially in the second half, the story was about wasted opportunity after wasted opportunity for Newcastle. Cisse and Gouffran were especially profligate. Eventually, 3 or so minutes into 5 minutes of injury time, Cisse finally converted from close range and the match was settled. Fulham’s unbeaten run is over.

Fulham’s run of good play is NOT over. The team in Godawful Orange dominated the midfield and played the more stylish football. From the beginning of the match, Newcastle were the more physical side. Cisse had no fewer than four fouls called for “clattering a Fulham player from behind” in the first 10 minutes, and committed at least three more fouls before finally getting a yellow card – for leaping into a crowd of happy Geordies.

What Newcastle did not do well was to capitalize on occasional lapses from Fulham’s midfield and defense. The final shot total was 28-5 in favor of The Barcodes, with the shot-on-target total reading 5-2. On another day, Berbatov converts all of his chances and Fulham win 0-3. On another day, Schwarzer, Hangeland, Riise, and the woodwork DON’T combine to keep Newcastle scoreless for 93 minutes. It was a fair result, and there was nothing in Fulham’s play that should upset any of their supporters – but you KNOW that there will be plenty of fingers pointed in the cyber world.

Fulham began the match with two new starters – Stanislav Manolev, who the announcer kept saying was making his league debut [ignoring the fact that he’d already done that down the road a piece] and Eyong (Brian) Enoh. Manolev did fairly well on the right side of midfield, but he was replacing Fulham’s most improved AND improving player, Ashkan Dejagah, and so looked substandard by comparison. He did NOT hurt the team at all, but his play wasn’t of as high a level as that of  Enoh who was replacing the suspended Steve Sidwell. He was an excellent contributor to Fulham’s first half domination and anchored the midfield well. He left with an injury five minutes into the second half, and Fulham never got control of the match thereafter. Emmanuel Frimpong came on to replace him and played well enough, but he didn’t have Enoh’s bite. I hope his injury isn’t so severe that we don’t see him again. Fulham’s other substitute, Hugo Rodallega, might have stolen the match for The Whites in Orange shortly after he came on, but he was wasteful of a brilliant pass from Berbatov, showing the same hesitation and confusion that every attacker in black and white stripes showed the entire match … until minute 93.

So, we didn’t win and, in the process, gave up points to several other sides near us. But there should be no shame in this. You can’t win them all, and Fulham really didn’t deserve a point, never mind three.

Hatter Don’s Man of the Match is Captain Brede Hangeland. Yes, Tha Big Aussie had some great saves. Yes Riise shut Newcastle’s attacks down the right time and again. Yes, Berbatov was by many miles the classiest player on the pitch, and yes, Ruiz really has added strength to his game. But the one phrase I kept hearing over and over again today was, “and Hangeland clears.” He was little short of awesome today. It was a good enough shift to compare to any he’s turned in since Roy Hodgson brought him here.

Next up? Aston [gulp] Villa at Villa Park. As Watt used to say, “Oh well, what the hell.”

The View from South Texas — Tottenham Hotspur FC v. Fulham FC

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by HatterDon

Fulham Steady, Tottenham Unready

Fulham made the short trek to North London today to face the Tottenham side who had demolished them 0-3 earlier in the season. There was little hope that the Southwest London side could get anything from the return fixture. Spurs were at home, in the top four, and their best player – Gareth Bale – did not participate in their midweek Europa League tie. Add to that the fact that Fulham have been a woeful eyesore on the road this season, and the match promised to be the Tottenham walkover that most pundits, including the South Texan writing this report, predicted.

But funny things happen on the way to the final whistle, and many of them occurred at White Hart Lane today. In the first half, Fulham displayed the football that has driven so many of their supporters nuts this season. Each possession featured multiple sideways and backwards passing until, eventually, the ball was surrendered to the team in white. It’s hard to moan about these losses of possession. If your [apparent] game plan is to get from your penalty area to the opponent’s penalty area in no fewer than 27 passes, chances are at least one will go awry. And so it was that Steve Sidwell took Fulham’s first shot in the 41st minute, and arced it a good 40 yards above the crossbar.

While Fulham’s “attack” was sputtering along going nowhere, their defense looked solid almost from the start. Spurs decided to rest Defoe and Lennon – who had niggling injuries – and persist with Adebayor up front despite season-long indifferent form. Bale looked a bit the worse for wear after a challenge, and Assou-Ekotto looked more than out of place in midfield. Dembélé was excellent, but the pieces that made up the Spurs XI didn’t seem to fit. Much of this was down to the consistency of Fulham’s defense. After twice conceding possession in dangerous positions within the first 70 seconds – Karagounis and Riise the culprits – Fulham’s back four settled down well, and were mightily assisted by Karagounis and Sidwell.

It didn’t take the White Hart Lane faithful long to express their frustration. EVERY Spurs pass that went sideways or backwards was greeted by growls of disapproval. I have to wonder how they’d like watching Fulham every week. They’d all be hoarse inside 30 minutes.

The second half looked like more of the same until the always-dangerous Ashkan Dejagah won possession in his own half, managed to slip past Dembélé and then feed Sascha Riether wide on the right. From deep midfield, Dimitar Berbatov streaked upfield with pace I didn’t know he possessed. Cross, calm conversion, and 0-1. Our 3rd shot in the match was our 1st shot on goal and a goal – all in minute 52. Not too shabby. For the next 20 or so minutes, Fulham dominated the pitch. Far from being gored into fighting back, Tottenham had their hands full keeping Fulham from a second. Hangeland, playing on the left wing [!] won a corner and then was presented with a clear header with half the goal to aim at. Somehow, he put it wide, and increased the acid content in my stomach exponentially.

How much were Fulham in charge? Clint Dempsey, who was subbed on at half time – first affected the play guarding Senderos in a succession of Fulham corners about 15 minutes later. Adebayor, despite working very hard, was mastered all day by his man-marker Philippe Senderos. Riether and Riise were tidy on the wings and Hangeland took care of everything else from his goal line to the center circle.

Tottenham did make some inroads, most especially when Jermain Defoe came on after the hour mark, but one brilliant Mark Schwarzer save aside, everything Defoe, Dempsey, Adebayor, and Bale threw at Fulham was meat and drink for an extremely well-organized and disciplined defense. I’ve seen Spurs play many times this season, and I’ve never seen them create so few clear chances.

Do I have quibbles about today’s performance? Of course. It is beginning to appear as if Karagounis actually came to us from the Royal Shakespeare Company. I haven’t witnessed such serial anguish since I saw King Lear. But mostly, I think there’s some kudos to pass along. Dejagah, who can be forgiven for not getting Fulham’s second late in the match, was a massive pain in the ass for everyone in white today. Riether was excellent. Duff did a fine job – especially in defense – and Schwarzer’s late save from Defoe was amazing when you consider how little he had been called upon to do.

HatterDon’s Man of the Match is Philippe Senderos. Part of this award is in recognition of dozens of cool and efficient decisions he made in his own penalty area in pressure situations. Part is in recognition of him marking Adebayor out of the match. And, of course, part is to piss off the huge cohort of Senderos haters who, each week, have less and less reason to despise him so.

Great result today and, given today’s other outcomes, we just might be clean and clear. Well done the lads and, if nobody gets hurt during the international break, it might be fun against QPR in a fortnight’s time.

COYW

The View from South Texas — Norwich City v. Fulham FC

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by HatterDon

[sorry for the LONG delay in getting this written. The match was tape delayed and my band had an early evening gig. I hope the wait is worth it]

Torture: Excruciating and Slow

In Roy Hodgson’s day, Fulham would approach a league match at an inferior opponent’s ground with the idea of stationing 10 players in their own half and going for the 0-0. This was usually a successful tactic  and only resulted in a few suicides by bored home supporters. Things are different now that Fulham are playing Martin Jol Sexy Football. Now we do our sideways and backwards passing further up the field. Instead of overtly playing negatively as under Hodgson, Fulham now appear to want to make attacking forays, but find it incapable of stringing more that three passes together. Under Hodgson, we had a well-drilled unit where everyone on the pitch knew his role and those of his teammates – all the better to execute the away boredom efficiently. Martin Jol Sexy Football differs as his Fulham have as little interaction among defense, midfield, and attack as possible. Furthermore, it is necessary for the team to appear to be composed of eleven highly skilled players who first met earlier that day.

And so Fulham traveled to Carrow Road to play a dispirited and ragged Norwich City. If there is a team more ripe for the taking on the road, I have no idea who it might be. Lacking two legitimate goal scoring threats, and fielding a defense that is easier to rip apart than a lovesick teenager’s heart, Norwich were almost begging to be trampled underfoot. Fulham, not satisfied with disappointing its own fans, also ruined Norwich’s date with destiny. Instead, Fulham dropped two points and handed Norwich one they never came close to deserving.

Fulham’s lineup featured three changes from their spirited and ill-deserved loss to Manchester United the previous weekend. Coming back from injury was the enigmatic Dimitar Berbatov, and with him two of our January loanees – Stanislav Manolev and Emmanuel Frimpong. The latter was rushed into action just hours after receiving his work permit due to the illness of our ever-present season-long loanee Sascha Riether. Frimpong replaced The Ancient Greek and looked to create a strong midfield partnership with Steve Sidwell.

The match started interestingly. Berbatov was kicked in the face after only 70 seconds. There was no yellow card, naturally, since the game was less than 15 minutes old. It took a few minutes to stanch the bleeding and give the Bulgarian striker a few stitches. It was only 3 minutes later when Mark Schwarzer was called into action FOR HIS ONLY SAVE OF THE MATCH. The strike was from Norwich’s January transfer Luciano Becchio. The Argentine striker obviously had been taking extension courses in platform diving at Leeds University, and could not wait to demonstrate how well he learned this craft to his new teammates and supporters. How he escaped a yellow for “simulation” is a mystery. He dived more often than a panicky U-boat skipper.

Fulham began the sideways and backwards passing drills they’ve perfected almost immediately. So successful were they in showing no aggression towards the Canaries’ shell-shocked defense, that it wasn’t until the 19th minute that Damian Duff took Fulham’s first shot.

Other highlights of the first half was a weak yellow for Frimpong and, in the 42nd minute, the sight of Berbatov actually chasing after one of his errant passes. I can’t remember seeing him do this since Christmas.

Steve Sidwell was enjoying having a strong center mid partner and “put himself about” all over the park. He looked every inch the box-to-box midfielder he can at times be. In the 48th minute it was Fulham’s only English player who took the first shot on goal. It was an easy save for Mark Bunn, but still it was on target, and there was still 42 more minutes left for Fulham to have a second SOG. Two minutes later, Bryan Ruiz let loose a pile driver of a shot that completely clocked Sebastian Bassong. The Norwich defender is a tough geezer, but he was seriously shaken by the event. The first really attractive multi-pass move from Fulham occurred in the 67th minute. Of course, it came to naught, but it was nice to see guys – you know – passing the ball upfield to teammates.

Norwich, getting into the spirit of MJSF, managed their second shot on goal in the 70th minute. There was some activity in both penalty areas as the minutes dwindled down to a tiresome few, but it was obvious that if there was any justice in the world, this match would end 0-0. Neither side was able to come up with the coherent play required to make a serious attack on goal.

And, so, I was left with looking for oddities:
1.   The television announcer saying of Hangeland, “His long legs were tangled in the heels of Snodgrass,” which left me wondering if this was the original first line to “The Sound Of Music.”
2.   A classy turn by substitute Urby Emanuelson. I believe it was the singular highlight of the second half.
3.   Simeon Jackson raising himself on his tiptoes to grab on to Hangeland’s shoulders.

So, yeah, it was a dire display by both teams, but we gained a point when pretty much all the strugglers lost – except for Southampton and Norwich of course. We moved up a position in the standings, and we’re a game closer to the end of the season. We also now have logged a grand total of THREE wins in our last eighteen league matches. We’re still not giving a team display anywhere near as good as the quality of the individual players. We’re still refusing to take hold of our own destiny, never mind 90 minutes on a Saturday – except on very rare occasions.

Who looked good? Sidwell excelled, Frimpong looked strong and – with his partner – faced up to Norwich’s attack and stifled it. Nobody Norwich sent to challenge our back four got any change out of Riise and Manolev. Senderos’ 100th league match was very strong, and Hangeland looked as dominating as we’ve seen him for a long while. The thing is, as easily as Fulham contained Norwich threat after Norwich threat, as dispirited as The Canaries and their fans were, it is almost inexcusable that Fulham didn’t come away with a win, and that’s the rub. That’s the reason for the negative review of a point gained on the road.

HatterDon’s Man of the Match award goes to Stanislav Manolev. Yes, Sidwell and Hangeland had better individual matches, but this guy has played a total of ONE league match for PSV Eindhoven this season and, still gutted out 90+ minutes with a bunch of guys he barely knows. It was a hell of a Premier League debut, regardless of the result.

Next Up? A weekend off to watch Luton Town play Millwall in the FA Cup. We play our next league match against Stoke City Wrestling Club on February 23rd at the Cottage. COYW

The View from South Texas — Stoke City v. Fulham FC

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by HatterDon

Wrestling in the Rain

Fulham traveled to Stoke today to play in the outdoor carwash known as The Britannia Stadium. With injuries to two attacking players, a makeshift midfield, and a defensive lineup that did not feature our best defender, I suppose a 1-0 defeat was to be expected. But I always expect more when Berbatov is on the pitch, and so I was bitterly disappointed with the result.

Stoke City are no walk in the park at the best of times. Composed – as they are – of power forwards and middle linebackers, and playing – as they do – on a green postage stamp slightly larger than a tennis court, it is natural for them to play a physical and destructive game. Today, they did what came naturally. They hacked, shoved, tripped, and elbowed the livelong day. If there was a surprise in the score, it was that the yellow card result was 1-1. Both cards were well deserved, but there should have been at least three more yellows awarded to City. Sigh. Well, what can you expect of a side whose most technically brilliant and creative players are Peter Crouch, Charlie Adam, and Ryan Shawcross.

Fulham’s makeshift midfield included Dejagah and Karagounis, each of whom impressed and depressed in equal measure. One had to admire Dejagah’s consistency in finding attacking space and despair at a first touch so reminiscent of Eddie Johnson. Karagounis played very well, except for the 3 or 4 times he gave the ball away when not under pressure.

Senderos, our own Scapegoat Come Home Dog, had his hands full with the red and white striped redwoods. Crouch had the beating of him all day – something that would not have happened with Hangeland – and Stoke were very wise in pressuring him for the entire 90+ minutes. Schwarzer had an absolute craptastrophy of a match. Barring one tip over the bar from a set piece, he looked uncertain and tentative the entire match. If I read any more “Schwarzer’s positioning and control of his penalty area is brilliant” comments, I may have a an absolute tiswas. As it happened, however, Stoke’s 26th minute goal was the fault of neither Senderos nor Schwarzer. The Swiss Baldy found it difficult to jump in the penalty area with Crouch’s arm shoving him down and Adam’s conversion of Crouch’s knock down would have beaten any keeper. While Hughes and Riether both turned in good shifts in the appalling conditions, it’s fair to say that Fulham’s most effective defenders were the linesman’s flag and the crossbar.

Petric and Berbatov deserved better. They deserved better service, better protection from the referee, and better luck with their conversions. The major weakness in the attack was the fact that the creative midfielder charged with following up the attacks and converting the dribs and drabs was Steve Sidwell, not his strongest point, and I’m sure not Jol’s first choice.

And so we lost a match we would have been expected to lose. Once again, quality was trumped by size and strength. Complain as we might, this is the very essence of the English game. Is there good news? Why yes! We’re at the Dog Track on Wednesday. This is good news? Yes! I’ll be drinking beer with Aggie Matt while watching this one, so my View may be enhanced and blurry at the same time.

HatterDon’s Man of the Match?  The Classiest player on the pitch by far was our own Dimitar Berbatov. I just hope he doesn’t get too discouraged at not finding any teammate capable of picking up his wavelength. Let’s hope Bryan will soon be back.

COYW

The View From South Texas — Arsenal v. Fulham FC

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by HatterDon

3-3 and what an absolutely wonderful match to watch

A few seasons back, Arsenal came to Craven Cottage and put a chubby 18-year-old Italian between the sticks. For 90 minutes he put on a display that ranks among the very best I’ve ever seen. He stopped seven shots that, had they been against any other Arsenal goalkeeper, would have been Fulham goals. Andrew Johnson should have had three and Clint Dempsey two, but for the Herculean efforts of the guy I called “that Fat Italian Kid.” Late in the match, van Persie came in and, with his first touch, got the only goal. What a day that was for Vito Mannone. What a day today WASN’T for Vito Mannone.

But what a day for the fans! Fulham started the match looking cool and calm, every bit the equal of their hosts. Although Berbatov and Ruiz looked the more dangerous pairing, it was Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski who turned that danger into goals. The Frenchman with a very easy goal in the 11th, and the German with the Polish name an equally soft effort in the 23rd. And, really, that should have been that. Despite the fact that we’re equal with Arsenal on points, and despite the fact that we score more goals than 15 sides in the league, we are Fulham and Arsenal are Arsenal. My only hope at this point was that we could keep at least SOME of our +5 goal difference. Most years, two goals down to a “top club” inside a half hour is game over.

Yeah, but we have Dimitar Berbatov and he, and his henchman Bryan Ruiz, weren’t about to allow the Whites to go quietly. Five minutes after Kieran Richardson apparently pulled a hamstring and had to go off in favor of Kacaniklic, we pulled one back. After some pressure down the right wing by the classy Ashkan Dejagah, Fulham won a corner. Ruiz took it and Berbatov nodded it in. 2-1. One of the great skills of goal scorers is the ability to find attacking space in a crowded penalty area. McBride was great at this, Gera also had this skill in abundance. Berbatov is the master at it. And so, just before the 30 minute mark, we were only one goal down.

At this point, Arsenal looked disjointed and dejected. Despite the fact that our back four and goalkeeper looked weak and disorganized most of the match, the Gunners looked as if they had someplace to go, but no idea how to get there. Just before half time, Fulham struck again. Berbatov consistently had the beating of the Arsenal defense on each wing, and so it was he ghosted in on the right wing, drove to the dead ball line and pulled the ball back sharply to our Swedish international. Special K headed in from a good 12 yards just inside Mannone’s near post. The [terrible] announcing crew went easy on him, but that was an eminently stoppable shot that he barely got his fingertips to. 2-2 at the half. What would the second 45 bring?

Fulham started the second half once again maintaining most of the possession. Arsenal countered, but Fulham seemed the side most likely. I was thrilled to see that we did NOT decide to park the bus for the entire second half. Ruiz was especially fun to watch. Arteta could not control him, and his ability to turn sharply in dangerous positions with defenders hanging on him was remarkable. On one foray upfield, Arsenal thought they had dispossessed him twice, only to see him wiggle free and drive into the penalty area with the hapless Arteta clinging to him like a shabby cloak. Mr. Dowd blew the whistle, Berbatov took the slow-motion penalty while Mannone posed for photographs, and Fulham took the lead – away to the Arsenal, a side we’ve never beaten on any of their grounds. Indeed, I wonder if we’ve ever scored three goals at their place. Hmmmm.

Arsenal came back at us again and, only two minutes later, Giroud slipped sideways through a spread out and tiring Fulham defense and the game was knotted. Arsenal’s “supporters,” who had been napping since Fulham drew level in the first half, came to life and the last 20+ minutes was either a joy or an agony to watch. Either side could have scored, Kacaniklic and Berbatov for us and Giroud for them. We won several corners but both Hughes and Hangeland made poor efforts at attacking them. All of this happened in a wide-open last ten minutes of full time.

Finally, in extra time, Fulham fell back to defend the point. In the last 30 seconds of the four allotted minutes, a Fulham clearance fell to Ruiz. That, you had to feel, was that, but instead of moving forward, the Costa Rican played a long diagonal back pass that was intercepted by Andrei Arshavin. The enigmatic Russian drove towards goal and shot. Riether blocked the ball with his elbow and, with the very last action of the game, Arsenal had a chance to secure all three points. Arteta, who won’t be watching this match on his DVR, stepped up to take the penalty and fired hard and low to Schwarzer’s left. Tha Big Aussie was equal to it and, as the ball was pushed around the post, Mr. Dowd blew for time. Great stuff to watch.

As a team, Fulham looked every bit a top 10 side. Individually, there are some concerns. Dejagah is possessed of great touch and tremendous skill. What he doesn’t have is pace or quickness. In other words, he’s last season’s Bryan Ruiz. I hope he improves as much as our Costa Rican did. Hughes and Hangeland, for the most part, had horrific games. Riether played his worst game in memory, and Riise only ventured upfield once. Schwarzer had his usual “little girl with the little curl” 90 minutes. His handling and distribution were shaky, but that point saving effort in the 95th minutes wipes clean a lot of slates. Sidwell and Baird worked hard, but if our midfield were the equal of our strike force, neither would be starting. Kacaniklic played very well after coming on. I do believe that the more pitch time he gets with Berbatov and Ruiz the better he’ll become. He’s got good attacking instincts. All he needs to improve is his decision-making.

Coulda been three; coulda been none. I’ll settle for the one point, and I think most who read this will. I know that Martin Jol will.

HatterDon’s Man of the Match is Dimitar Berbatov – two goals and one assist will do that for you. Despite Arsenal’s high-priced talent on display, Great Uncle Bulgaria was easily the best player on the pitch. Second best, by some margin, was Bryan Ruiz. He has arrived, folks, and he and Berbatov are a fearsome pairing up front.

International break coming up; I’ll be rooting hard for no Fulham injuries. COYW

The View From South Texas — Reading v. Fulham

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by HatterDon

One Best Appreciated by the Neutrals

Of course, the problem is that I’m NOT a neutral, and so I’m a bit frustrated. Fulham traveled to winless Reading and got the point that most expected. At half-time, I’d have been thrilled with that one point, but the barrage of free kicks and corner kicks we faced when a goal up late in the match made me feel as if we were lucky to get what we did.

There was never any doubt throughout the 94 minutes that Fulham had the better XI on the pitch. There was also little doubt that we weren’t playing well enough to win for most of the afternoon. Neither were Reading, truth be told. The difference is that they were there for the taking and we didn’t finish the job. What the difference should have been is that we had the best player on the pitch for the entire match and, had we capitalized on that indisputable fact, we’d have put the match away by half-time.

The first half was very scrappy. The vast majority of Fulham’s attacks were up our left side. The problem with that is that this was where Richardson was playing. I rate this guy a lot, but Berbatov fed him in attacking situations a half-dozen times in the first 45 and I can’t remember a single decent cross coming from them. I found myself – as did others in the FulhamUSA.com chatroom – crying for Kacaniklic and Dejagah. Reading had a few chances to score in the first half and it was only a combination of poor marksmanship and poor luck that kept them off the scoreboard. When their goal came, it was brilliant and unstoppable. From a dead ball situation [recurring theme alert], Reading passed the ball around a few times until it fell to Leighterwood who deposited a screamer into the top right corner. We pressed pretty hard after that, but we never really looked like equalizing.

They say that goals change games. Well, so do substitutions, and our match changed in the 58th minute when Ruiz came on for the profligate Rodallega. I was happy to see Bryan, but had doubts about how he’d fit in. Berbatov can do many things, but I don’t think he’s at his best as the 1 in a 4-5-1. So imagine my surprise when he stayed up front with Ruiz as his partner. And boy did it pay dividends immediately. From this point until the 89th minute, Fulham were clearly the better side.

It was Bryan who equalized with a goal as stunning as Reading’s first – a screamer into the top right. Last season his only two goals were goal-of-the-season candidates. The same is true for his first this season. As soon as we equalized, two minutes after Ruiz arrived on the pitch, Fulham looked for nothing but three points. The second goal came 17 minutes later on yet another near post run by Baird. Unlike last week’s effort, this corner was converted with a header. Baird has obviously been watching old film of Carlos Bocanegra. Fulham were up 2-1, and playing brilliant football. Unfortunately, Baird took a knock in the goal celebration and had to be replaced by Sidwell.

Reading equalized in a pin-ball like goalmouth scramble ten minutes later, and 2-2 looked like the ultimate result until the brilliance that is Dimitar Berbatov stepped forward. Our number 9 was limping most of the match and looked very tired, but in the 88th minute he had time to tie his shoelaces and autograph the ball before beating McCarthy. Two minutes left. We’re up 3-2. What could go wrong?

Well, what happened is that we began giving away corners and free kicks on the outskirts of our penalty area. One of the free kicks – after a foul by the otherwise brilliant Sascha Riether – resulted in yet another pinball lottery AND the final equalizer in the 90th minute. While I’m certain that Fulham wanted to get the SEVENTH goal in the four minutes of injury time, we barely got out of our own half. One or two more goalmouth scrambles and 3-3 was the final result. It was a fair result in the end for two reasons: (1) Neither side played poorly enough to lose. (2) Neither side played well enough to win. A point on the road is a point on the road, I guess.

Full marks for the play of Riether, Riise, Hughes, Diarra, Duff, and – especially – Berbatov. Baird, Hangeland, and Schwarzer had uneven performances throughout, and the less said about Rodallega and Richardson the better. Our subs were brilliant. Ruiz brought the match to life, Dejagah looked a serious threat again, and Sidwell had a hand in Berbatov’s goal. I’m looking forward to seeing the Berbatov/Ruiz pairing in the future. Each is incredibly creative. Each has good pitch awareness. Each has an eye for a promising pass, and each can finish. Now if we can just get some service from the left wing.

Reading? It’s going to be a long season for them. Two of their three goals were on the lucky side, they have an unconvincing goalkeeper, and the strike pair we saw today seems an odd couple. A better team on the day would have dismantled them in the first 30 minutes.

HatterDon’s Man of the Match was bouncing back and forth between Riether, Berbatov, and Hughes, but the winner isthe Fulham Travelers. I have never heard you so loud for so long, and there is no doubt in my Texan mind that you had a hand in all three of our goals. Well done.

Next up? Oh, goodness. I’ll worry about that later. COYW.

THE VIEW FROM SOUTH TEXAS — WIGAN ATHLETIC V. FULHAM FC

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by HatterDon

An Almost Comfortable Away Trip

Yes, I know. Fulham are not good on the road. Yes, Fulham suffer against mediocre teams. Yes, yes, yes. The truth is, of course, that Fulham have been very capable of taking points at the DW Stadium in England’s northwest. And, except for stoppage time, looked comfortably the better team on display today.

Roberto Martinez is one of my most favorite managers. With very little in the way of a budget, he doesn’t go the grizzled-veteran-route-one route. Instead, his teams play good football, quality football, that can frighten any side – witness the seven matches won of their last nine last season. And his side looked bright today at times. Luckily, for Fulham, their good passing never included the “last pass.”

There was plenty of pleasing football from both sides early on. Most of the action in both directions was down Fulham’s right wing for the first half hour or so. Duff and Riether engineered much of Fulham’s early pressure. And there was plenty of early pressure. Fulham were playing like a side that had dismantled a very good WBA last weekend – NOT like a side hoping for a 0-0. And Fulham looked like scoring almost from the off.

The thought struck me early on that if I was watching 22 strangers out there, it would have taken me all of 90 seconds to have realized that the number 9 in black was head and shoulders above them all. Wigan had their hands full with Uncle Bulgaria, and after several missed opportunities, a gentle chip from just side of the area from Berbatov found Rodallega’s forehead, and the Colombian netted for the first time in Fulham colors. After a few confused minutes during which it looked as if Fulham would add to their total, Wigan began playing the best football of the match for  the last 15 minutes. They put Fulham under sustained pressure on more than one occasion and, eventually hit the post.

The first half ended 0-1 and the points looked to be up for grabs. This was a bit disconcerting, though, since Berbatov could easily have had 3 assists AND a goal during the first 45. Would Fulham rue those missed chances?

If anyone NOT in South Texas thought that Fulham would come out playing negatively and protecting the one-goal lead, they’d be mightily disappointed. After soaking up considerable pressure by Wigan – most of it thwarted by their own profligacy – Fulham garnered their second goal. In a complete reversal of roles, the Whites [was there any white in that kit?] were attacking relentlessly, relegating Athletic to quick counterattacks.

As soon as Fulham brought on Ruiz to replace the disappointing Kacaniklic, things got interesting. The Costa Rican nearly scored from a free kick and, in the 68th minute, held off three defenders to lay the ball into the path of Damian Duff. 0-2 and game over, one would have thought. It certainly looked that way until just before injury time when Martinez brought on Ryo Miyaichi and Callum McManaman [why is that name so hauntingly familiar?]. Their energy and guile put Fulham back on the defensive for the last thirteen minutes plus.

After some brilliant work by a suddenly fully employed Mark Schwarzer, Wigan pulled back a goal they really deserved. Kone – for my money Wigan’s best player all match – ended a goalmouth scramble by sidefooting past Tha Big Aussie. 1-2 and that’s the way it stayed.

Who caught the eye today? Rodallega looked exceptional for most of the match although it’ll take me a long time to get over his sideways pass to absolutely nobody on the edge of Wigan’s penalty area. Riether did well and so did Baird. Hangeland was also a rock, although not quite as good as the international announcers believed. He credited clearances from Baird and Sidwell to the Norwegian Giant evidently believing that anyone in black who had short hair was our number 5.

Who disappointed? Special K did. Twice set up brilliantly by Berbatov, he never looked like even getting a decent shot off. We improve mightily when he was replaced by Ruiz. Hughes played his worst game this season, twice putting the defense under terrible pressure in the first half. Luckily, Wigan’s passing let them down on both occasions and it did no harm.

So, by my math that makes it 9 points from 5 played and a goal difference of +5. A quick check of the table tells me we’re in 4th, ahead of Man United thanks to the alphabet. Well, that’s not likely to last, but it’s a wonderful sight and – as long as Berbatov remains healthy – we’re going to scare the crap out of some very good defenses. Wigan? I think they may have enough talent in the squad to survive one more time. They certainly have enough talent in the person of their manager.

Hatter Don’s Man of the Match? This was close. Damian Duff gets it hotly pursued by Dimitar Berbatov and Mark Schwarzer.

Man City is at the Cottage next weekend, and on this form we need fear nobody. COYW

The View from South Texas — West Ham U v. Fulham FC

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by HatterDon

God, That was Ugly

By the time there were 30 minutes on the clock today, my major hope was that we would salvage some of the goal difference we won on opening day. We did … just. The post-Dembélé Era began on the Boleyn ground for a “lunchtime” [read 0645] match against our bogey team. I am confident that we will look better than we did today. I am also confident that West Ham will not.

Their first goal came with barely 50 seconds on the clock. Kevin Nolan made a fortuitous connection with a knock down by the excellent Ricardo Vaz Te and Schwarzer could do nothing but pick the ball out of his net. I say “fortuitous” because Nolan spent the rest of the match swinging and missing at much easier chances. Vaz Te’s combination of speed, skill, and aggression would trouble Fulham’s somewhat panic-stricken defense all day. He was, without a doubt, the best player on the pitch. He had a complete stormer.

Fulham? Not so much. Despite the fact that the back four + Schwarzer were the only unit untouched by injury or transfer, they spent much of the match looking as if they’d only just met in the dressing room. Riise was back from injury, so Fulham were – arguably – stronger in defense than they were at Old Trafford last weekend. However, despite the fact that West Ham is nowhere near Man United in skill or manpower, our defense proved totally ineffective in controlling the newly promoted Hammers.

Their second and third goals were both down to poor marking. Nobody was near Winston Reid when he headed in from a corner 29 minutes in, and Matthew Taylor had the entire postal code to himself when he slammed home the third a few minutes before the interval. In both cases, new boy Andy Carroll was drawing all the attention. Fully four players were marking him for the third. I can’t remember when I last saw Hangeland play so ineffectively. I hope not to see it again this season.

Much of Fulham’s defensive slackness can be attributed to weakness in the midfield. Only Diarra stood out in this area, and he was constantly on the verge of being overrun. West Ham were quick to close down any Fulham player in possession and the only way that Fulham could string together more than three passes was among the defenders and twenty yards deep in their own half. Richardson made his debut and looked okay going forward but was totally ineffective in shielding or covering for Riise. Duff was our entire offense for 45 minutes, but Riether was also left on his own all too often. Steve Sidwell? Well, I thought he was horrible, so I’m saying no more than that.

Petrić and Rodallega were our primary attackers. Petrić looked somewhat lost at sea and it was no surprise when he was sacrificed at half time. Rodallega turned in a good shift and played the entire 90 minutes. I fervently hope that I can make that statement many more times this season. But it was our substitute forward who really caught the eye. Dimitar Berbatov was a lovely combination of artful flicks, turns, and gliding moves. He was, really, the only player in white who remotely troubled West Ham. And their pressure affected him much less than any of our other players. He was the reason that we became a credible attacking force [70 minutes after the opening whistle], and he was the architect of what could easily have been a consolation goal from Rodallega.

All-in-all, the first match after the transfer period was pretty ugly to look at and a disaster of a result. If there’s mitigation it is that it’s ludicrous for the transfer period to end on the day before a match. Of course, there was no reason why we had to sign Richardson or Berbatov on Friday when we had the entire summer to make deals. But the problem wasn’t that we didn’t have time to get our new boys acclimated. The problem is that, since the Tottenham match last Spring, Fulham have lost four key players from our midfield – a midfield that was clearly our major strength and difference-maker last season. Add to that the unavailability of Bryan Ruiz today, and we’re just not good enough without them.

We’ll get better. The midfield will tighten up [Sidwell is not the answer here, by the way], Berbatov will pair nicely with Petrić, and the defense should settle down. We WILL get better, but it will take a while. In the meantime, it’s safe to say that from now until late November, this season is going to resemble the first few months of the last two seasons. Our fondest hope should be that the second half of this season will also resemble those of the last two.

Hatter Don’s Man of the Match goes to Dimitar Berbatov, with honorable mention to Mahamadou Diarra

Back at the Cottage against West Brom next, and it would be nice to bag three points. Count on Berbatov starting. Count on that being a very good thing for Fulham. COYW

The View From South Texas — Man United v. Fulham FC

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by HatterDon

Once again, sorry for the delay.

Moussa Dembélé Has a New Agent … and His Name is Tony Gale

Well, what an interesting match that was. Fulham showed parity with United in the first half hour, played like 11 frightened mice in the second half hour, and scared the bejesus out of the hosts in the third. A one-goal defeat was a deserved result, but this match was really about assessing how good we are this early in the season. After summarily dispatching a very poor Norwich side at home, we were at perhaps the worst away venue for anyone fighting for 9th or 10th place.

United were nervous. Their defense looked shaky at times, and it took a brilliant goal by van Persie to bag their equalizer. YES, we were ahead. A clever and well-executed free kick [and how long since I’ve used that phrase?] from Brian Ruiz caught that nervous defense all congregating at the far post. Ruiz slid the ball rapidly sideways and Damian Duff slotted it home. I believe there were barely two minutes on the clock at this time.

Oh, yes, van Persie’s equalizer. The replays show that there may only be three or four other players in the Premier League audacious enough to try the shot, and perhaps only van Persie is capable of converting it. And the fun was on. There were raids upfield by both sides that lasted until the 35th minute when the flashy Japanese midfielder Kagawa was there to put United up after Schwarzer should probably have held rather than punched an earlier shot. Fulham were disconcerted, and it only got worse 5 minutes later when United’s Ninja Turtle headed in their third from a nice cross from Young. Fulham  spent the rest of the half in lock-down mode, as if the most positive result from the day’s efforts would be a two-goal defeat.

The second half started much the same way. Fulham got a bit more possession, but it was almost exclusively in their own half. United were able to maintain a solid front in the unlikely case that the Whites would actually attack. When Sidwell came on in place of our most aggressive attacker – Kacaniklic – I thought the surrender was on. And yet … . And yet Moussa Dembélé’s brilliance, on display the entire time, suddenly turned serious. Only two minutes after Sidwell came on, Fulham turned the spigot on. Our second goal was a Vidic o.g., but it owed a lot to Dembélé, Ruiz, and Petrić – who, had the ball not trickled over the line, would have easily have booted it in.

This was in the 64th minute and for the rest of the match, United were on the defensive as Fulham went for a point. Dembélé created and actually took a shot or two, Briggs bombed up the wing, Ruiz delivered a magic touch or two, and Rodallega threatened. United brought on Rooney, Welbeck, and Giggs [nice subs, huh?] but to no avail. Fulham ended the match knocking on the door. As the travelers sang “Take Me Home Al Fayed” with gusto, the lads in the red tablecloth shirts just wanted the whistle to blow so they could take their own selves home.

3-2 United, but I turned off the television feeling like we had won. How did we look? Good marks for Hughes, Riether, Briggs, Kacaniklic, and Duff. Somewhat disappointing were Hangeland, Ruiz, Diarra, Petrić, and Schwarzer. TOP marks to Moussa Dembélé. After 90 minutes of constant praise by “color commentator,” Tony Gale, Our Brilliant Belgian looked every inch “one of the most creative players in the league. Easily a top four player.” As the final whistle blew, I turned to Hatter Mom and said, “Well, Dembélé’s transfer fee just went up £2m.” He was the leading man on the biggest stage in British football today.

So, how do we look after two matches and three points? Did the Norwich result flatter to deceive?  Well, possibly, but I certainly wasn’t predicting Champions League football after beating a woeful Norwich last Saturday. I think things look bright this season. Despite fairly mundane performances by Ruiz and Diarra, I think that we have plenty of creativity and steel coming from the center. Briggs’s creditable performance showed that we have some depth in defense. As a matter of fact, once we stopped inviting United to attack our back four, we looked fine. Counting Baird – nice to see him in a cameo, by the way – we have four good fullbacks, and four good centerbacks [once Senderos is back and Halliche is freed]. I like Special K up front, and Petrić looks very good. When Frei comes back, we’ll have even more speed.

My guess? This squad [with Dembélé] is good enough to get us comfortably in mid-table. If Moussa goes, we’ll need to pray for no serious injuries.

Obviously, Hatter Don’s [and Tony Gale’s]  MOtM is Moussa Dembélé. Good result, even if we got no points. Bring them all on, one at a time. COYW