Did we know he had surgery and will be out for some while. I might have just missed it.
Where did this news come from. If true it probably means the end of his season if not his career.
Was on other sites, not confirmed officially.
Arter had surgery early this season and played the next game, although it may have been unwise to come back that quickly, as he disappeared after that from the matchday 18 for reasons unknown to me. I strongly expect that FFC is still hoping to have Mawson back as a squad player (i.e. backup) for the end of the season and the playoffs.
In the article I saw i thought it was part of a Scott Parker quote regarding who was available this weekend and he said Mawson would be out for some time.
Quote from: BarryP on February 07, 2020, 12:49:19 AM
In the article I saw i thought it was part of a Scott Parker quote regarding who was available this weekend and he said Mawson would be out for some time.
At the start of the season, everyone was hoping Mawson would make it through all the games uninjured until Hector arrived, it seems like he just made it.
Does anyone know if our 5th centre back Maxime Le Marchand is back at training or maybe returning anytime soon?
Quote from: The Rational Fan on February 07, 2020, 12:54:10 AM
At the start of the season, everyone was hoping Mawson would make it through all the games uninjured until Hector arrived, it seems like he just made it.
Does anyone know if our 5th centre back Maxime Le Marchand is back at training or maybe returning anytime soon?
This is from the Lancashire Telegraph:
"Anthony Knockaert has trained over the last days so we'll have to see how he goes and if the weekend comes a little bit early for him," Parker said. "But he's certainly on the right track.
"Alfie Mawson's come out of surgery last week, so he'll be out for some time. Max Le Marchand is the same, and Harrison Reed there's still an issue."
Yes it was Parker's quote that I saw and realised that I hadn't heard about the surgery. Hopefully not old knee problems as that would be a big concern.
I can understand the idea that you keep your opponents guessing on team selection e.g. Mito last Saturday but if a players out for some time and needing surgery whats the secret???
Wouldn't be surprised at all if it eventually surfaces that Mawson has been playing injured for most, of not all of the season due to lack of viable options. The timing of him quietly slipping out of the team to do this as soon as Hector is available to step in is a bit too coincidental IMO.
He has shown his defensive ability in flashes but hasn't consistently been the dominating, technically composed CB we signed from Swansea.
He undoubtedly is a better player than he has shown for us - I just hope these knee problems are not chronic / terminal for his career at a level we would need him
to perform at.
A fully fit / peak form Mawson and Hector would be a good enough pairing for the Premier League - I sincerely hope this surgery rectifies any issues once and for all so we can FINALLY see what he is capable of in a Fulham shirt.
we bought a 20mil crock
Feel sympathy for him regarding this recurring injury, it must be so frustrating. However, Fulham is not a charity and there have only been a handful of games where he has been good enough.
No we are not a charity and clubs will move on crocked or suspect players. We did it with Jimmy Bullard. Medical cannot pick up everything
If he's had surgery then it may well have been 100% successful. In which case we can look forward to a fully fit Mawson, why would we want to move him on just when he could be ready to show his full potential?
So our fit centre backs available for Saturday are Hector and Odoi with perhaps Kongolo on the bench ??
I sense a problem looming.
Couldn't KMac fill in..... his awareness is superb
It is certainly in both Mawson's and the Club's interests to restore him to his best health and fitness and since we know nothing about the relationship between this injury and his original injury everything else is conjecture. Wish him well for a full recovery to the best level he can achieve. As we have seen with the young Marlon Fossey it is a tough business to get back to the sort of fitness standards required of professional footballers and it can take quite a long time to achieve the new maximum performance level.
Quote from: H4usuallysitting on February 07, 2020, 10:22:42 AM
Couldn't KMac fill in..... his awareness is superb
For me the order of preference at LCB would be
1. Mawson
2. Kongolo
3. Odoi
4. Ream
5. MLM
6. Mcdonald
So would not be considering KMac unless another four players also need operations
Quote from: filham on February 07, 2020, 10:18:37 AM
So our fit centre backs available for Saturday are Hector and Odoi with perhaps Kongolo on the bench ??
I sense a problem looming.
And Ream.
Quote from: Beamer on February 07, 2020, 08:40:32 AM
Yes it was Parker's quote that I saw and realised that I hadn't heard about the surgery. Hopefully not old knee problems as that would be a big concern.
I don't think you missed anything Beamer. Part of me wonders if the club were trying to keep the information quite during the transfer window until they could bring in another center back.
This is almost certainly why Kongolo was brought in. I hope he starts tomorrow and makes the position his own for the rest of the season (on paper, him and Hector could be a superb partnership. Very pacey too).
God forbid we have to bring Timothy Ream back in at any point. We can forget all about autos should that happen...
Quote from: ByTheRiver on February 07, 2020, 03:54:01 PM
This is almost certainly why Kongolo was brought in. I hope he starts tomorrow and makes the position his own for the rest of the season (on paper, him and Hector could be a superb partnership. Very pacey too).
God forbid we have to bring Timothy Ream back in at any point. We can forget all about autos should that happen...
Why can things never be in moderation?
We missed automatic promotion by two points two years with an inferior squad and Ream playing CB almost all games. So it seems far fetched that our hopes for promotion should be totally gone just because we play a proven decent Championship defender when we are in a better spot (objectively) than compared to the same time that season as well as have a better squad (somehow subjective, but seems like most agree). Has Ream become so bad in your opinion so that we cannot win games with him in the team (even though actual facts states otherwise since he has played most of our games this season, including the three straight clean sheets before the game he was suspended)?
Personally I don't rate Ream too high as an actual defender, but I believe it is nothing but complete and utter hyperbole to suggest that he cannot hold his own to at least a decent degree at this level. In my opinion.
Quote from: Sting of the North on February 07, 2020, 04:13:12 PM
Quote from: ByTheRiver on February 07, 2020, 03:54:01 PM
This is almost certainly why Kongolo was brought in. I hope he starts tomorrow and makes the position his own for the rest of the season (on paper, him and Hector could be a superb partnership. Very pacey too).
God forbid we have to bring Timothy Ream back in at any point. We can forget all about autos should that happen...
Why can things never be in moderation?
We missed automatic promotion by two points two years with an inferior squad and Ream playing CB almost all games. So it seems far fetched that our hopes for promotion should be totally gone just because we play a proven decent Championship defender when we are in a better spot (objectively) than compared to the same time that season as well as have a better squad (somehow subjective, but seems like most agree). Has Ream become so bad in your opinion so that we cannot win games with him in the team (even though actual facts states otherwise since he has played most of our games this season, including the three straight clean sheets before the game he was suspended)?
Personally I don't rate Ream too high as an actual defender, but I believe it is nothing but complete and utter hyperbole to suggest that he cannot hold his own to at least a decent degree at this level. In my opinion.
That Ream is now two years older, two years slower, two years weaker. He has been directly responsible for a number of goals this season and is always on the brink of an error. He is, at best, now a lower level Championship defender and has no place in a side fighting for the title/automatic promotion.
I'm sorry, I know he has fans on here (and suspected the last post would cause a bit of uproar), but it is the truth.
Yes, I know he had a season/season and half (combined) where he was semi decent on the ball, when he had little to do as we completely dominated possession in every match, but that was then and everything since has pointed otherwise. Saha was good, we wouldn't want him to lead the line tomorrow. Danny Murphy was good but we wouldn't want to drag him off the MoTD sofa and slot into CM tomorrow. Ream is gone. Finished. Done.
(https://fmdataba.com/images/profile/20-148339-tim-ream.jpg)
(https://fmdataba.com/images/profile/20-147686-alfie-mawson.jpg)
(https://fmdataba.com/images/profile/20-147477-terence-kongolo.jpg)
(https://fmdataba.com/images/profile/20-148818-denis-odoi.jpg)
(https://fmdataba.com/images/profile/20-148310-michael-hector.jpg)
First stat I've looked at in there says Ream is faster than Hector. And just as good at heading. And stronger than Mawson.
What bo11ocks!!!!!!
Quote from: Sting of the North on February 07, 2020, 01:22:33 PM
Quote from: filham on February 07, 2020, 10:18:37 AM
So our fit centre backs available for Saturday are Hector and Odoi with perhaps Kongolo on the bench ??
I sense a problem looming.
And Ream.
But I think Ream will be serving a three match ban for his red card. is that not the case, MLM injured and now Mawson injured. Lightning striking in the same place again
Quote from: Sting of the North on February 07, 2020, 04:13:12 PM
Quote from: ByTheRiver on February 07, 2020, 03:54:01 PM
This is almost certainly why Kongolo was brought in. I hope he starts tomorrow and makes the position his own for the rest of the season (on paper, him and Hector could be a superb partnership. Very pacey too).
God forbid we have to bring Timothy Ream back in at any point. We can forget all about autos should that happen...
Why can things never be in moderation?
We missed automatic promotion by two points two years with an inferior squad and Ream playing CB almost all games. So it seems far fetched that our hopes for promotion should be totally gone just because we play a proven decent Championship defender when we are in a better spot (objectively) than compared to the same time that season as well as have a better squad (somehow subjective, but seems like most agree). Has Ream become so bad in your opinion so that we cannot win games with him in the team (even though actual facts states otherwise since he has played most of our games this season, including the three straight clean sheets before the game he was suspended)?
Personally I don't rate Ream too high as an actual defender, but I believe it is nothing but complete and utter hyperbole to suggest that he cannot hold his own to at least a decent degree at this level. In my opinion.
+1 (to Sting of the North's comment)
Quote from: filham on February 07, 2020, 04:55:40 PM
Quote from: Sting of the North on February 07, 2020, 01:22:33 PM
Quote from: filham on February 07, 2020, 10:18:37 AM
So our fit centre backs available for Saturday are Hector and Odoi with perhaps Kongolo on the bench ??
I sense a problem looming.
And Ream.
But I think Ream will be serving a three match ban for his red card. is that not the case, MLM injured and now Mawson injured. Lightning striking in the same place again
Quote from: filham on February 07, 2020, 04:55:40 PM
Quote from: Sting of the North on February 07, 2020, 01:22:33 PM
Quote from: filham on February 07, 2020, 10:18:37 AM
So our fit centre backs available for Saturday are Hector and Odoi with perhaps Kongolo on the bench ??
I sense a problem looming.
And Ream.
But I think Ream will be serving a three match ban for his red card. is that not the case, MLM injured and now Mawson injured. Lightning striking in the same place again
I think he only got 1 game for his card.
Quote from: ByTheRiver on February 07, 2020, 04:19:59 PM
Quote from: Sting of the North on February 07, 2020, 04:13:12 PM
Quote from: ByTheRiver on February 07, 2020, 03:54:01 PM
This is almost certainly why Kongolo was brought in. I hope he starts tomorrow and makes the position his own for the rest of the season (on paper, him and Hector could be a superb partnership. Very pacey too).
God forbid we have to bring Timothy Ream back in at any point. We can forget all about autos should that happen...
Why can things never be in moderation?
We missed automatic promotion by two points two years with an inferior squad and Ream playing CB almost all games. So it seems far fetched that our hopes for promotion should be totally gone just because we play a proven decent Championship defender when we are in a better spot (objectively) than compared to the same time that season as well as have a better squad (somehow subjective, but seems like most agree). Has Ream become so bad in your opinion so that we cannot win games with him in the team (even though actual facts states otherwise since he has played most of our games this season, including the three straight clean sheets before the game he was suspended)?
Personally I don't rate Ream too high as an actual defender, but I believe it is nothing but complete and utter hyperbole to suggest that he cannot hold his own to at least a decent degree at this level. In my opinion.
That Ream is now two years older, two years slower, two years weaker. He has been directly responsible for a number of goals this season and is always on the brink of an error. He is, at best, now a lower level Championship defender and has no place in a side fighting for the title/automatic promotion.
I'm sorry, I know he has fans on here (and suspected the last post would cause a bit of uproar), but it is the truth.
Yes, I know he had a season/season and half (combined) where he was semi decent on the ball, when he had little to do as we completely dominated possession in every match, but that was then and everything since has pointed otherwise. Saha was good, we wouldn't want him to lead the line tomorrow. Danny Murphy was good but we wouldn't want to drag him off the MoTD sofa and slot into CM tomorrow.Ream is gone. Finished. Done.
Codswallop mate, complete cods!
Quote from: ByTheRiver on February 07, 2020, 04:19:59 PM
Quote from: Sting of the North on February 07, 2020, 04:13:12 PM
Quote from: ByTheRiver on February 07, 2020, 03:54:01 PM
This is almost certainly why Kongolo was brought in. I hope he starts tomorrow and makes the position his own for the rest of the season (on paper, him and Hector could be a superb partnership. Very pacey too).
God forbid we have to bring Timothy Ream back in at any point. We can forget all about autos should that happen...
Why can things never be in moderation?
We missed automatic promotion by two points two years with an inferior squad and Ream playing CB almost all games. So it seems far fetched that our hopes for promotion should be totally gone just because we play a proven decent Championship defender when we are in a better spot (objectively) than compared to the same time that season as well as have a better squad (somehow subjective, but seems like most agree). Has Ream become so bad in your opinion so that we cannot win games with him in the team (even though actual facts states otherwise since he has played most of our games this season, including the three straight clean sheets before the game he was suspended)?
Personally I don't rate Ream too high as an actual defender, but I believe it is nothing but complete and utter hyperbole to suggest that he cannot hold his own to at least a decent degree at this level. In my opinion.
That Ream is now two years older, two years slower, two years weaker. He has been directly responsible for a number of goals this season and is always on the brink of an error. He is, at best, now a lower level Championship defender and has no place in a side fighting for the title/automatic promotion.
I'm sorry, I know he has fans on here (and suspected the last post would cause a bit of uproar), but it is the truth.
Yes, I know he had a season/season and half (combined) where he was semi decent on the ball, when he had little to do as we completely dominated possession in every match, but that was then and everything since has pointed otherwise. Saha was good, we wouldn't want him to lead the line tomorrow. Danny Murphy was good but we wouldn't want to drag him off the MoTD sofa and slot into CM tomorrow. Ream is gone. Finished. Done.
I am a fan of all players that are doing their best for Fulham, but I don't rate Ream very high in comparison to most of our players. You also don't have to be sorry, because you are at the end of the day entitled to your opinion. But you also are probably not doing your line of argument any favors when comparing Ream to long since retired players (I mean, I did kind of enjoy having a 32 year old non-retired Murphy in midfield).
Again (since you seem to try to ignore most counter arguments), did or did Ream not play the full 90 minutes as CB for several games in a row in which we conceded 0 goals in the last month or so? That alone should be sufficient evidence of FFC not being without a chance of promotion if Ream plays.
There is a difference between preferring other players and completely write a player off.
Central defenders depend on one another and are good as a pair or poor as a pair. How would a sainted defender like Aaron Hughes do when paired with Mawson, MLM or Ream? Ream plays Aaron to Hector's Brede. I think they do well together. Would a better player than Ream pair well with Hector? Hopefully, but not definitely. The point of CB defending is to never be put in a clear one on one situation. If a CB were as agile, strong and as good on the ball as a striker he'd be a bloody striker. Mawson and Ream constantly had gaps in their defending, allowing the striker one on ones which ended in a strong shot on goal. Hector and Ream have had far fewer such situations. Is this because Ream got better since Hector came on or because he had been pared with a bloke with doggy knees? Yes it would be grand to have a better CB than Ream and we certainly will need one for the Prem but to make statements as some have on here is just ignorance.
Quote from: YankeeJim on February 07, 2020, 06:42:10 PM
Central defenders depend on one another and are good as a pair or poor as a pair. How would a sainted defender like Aaron Hughes do when paired with Mawson, MLM or Ream? Ream plays Aaron to Hector's Brede. I think they do well together. Would a better player than Ream pair well with Hector? Hopefully, but not definitely. The point of CB defending is to never be put in a clear one on one situation. If a CB were as agile, strong and as good on the ball as a striker he'd be a bloody striker. Mawson and Ream constantly had gaps in their defending, allowing the striker one on ones which ended in a strong shot on goal. Hector and Ream have had far fewer such situations. Is this because Ream got better since Hector came on or because he had been pared with a bloke with doggy knees? Yes it would be grand to have a better CB than Ream and we certainly will need one for the Prem but to make statements as some have on here is just ignorance.
Or maybe, just maybe, Mawson's positional play (and I'm not discounting Ream's either) was not as good as it should have been. Everyone seems keen to find excuses for Mawson, and they continue to rate him as a starter for our team ... fine. A reasoned and moderate argument is though, that Mawson has not displayed the form that made us pay the amount we did, and perhaps that his partner centre-back(s) at Swansea were also responsible for helping him perform well.
In any case, I hope he recovers from injury well, and finds the form of a good premier league centre-back.
Quote from: fulhamross on February 07, 2020, 04:33:30 PM
(https://fmdataba.com/images/profile/20-148339-tim-ream.jpg)
(https://fmdataba.com/images/profile/20-147686-alfie-mawson.jpg)
(https://fmdataba.com/images/profile/20-147477-terence-kongolo.jpg)
(https://fmdataba.com/images/profile/20-148818-denis-odoi.jpg)
(https://fmdataba.com/images/profile/20-148310-michael-hector.jpg)
I can't believe how many people take this stuff seriously. Also I admire how many people stick up for Ream, he's been a decent servant but for me he's never been anything more than a player plugging a weak point until someone better was brought in to replace him. We've tried to upgrade several times and failed because our recruitment team are clearly more interested in winger after winger instead of addressing the leaky defence. That being said Michael Hector was an absolutely top class addition and for that reason I'm in hope they have learned and I'm looking forward to seeing Kongolo getting a run. I'm sorry but Ream is one of the sketchiest CB's we've ever had. Am I the only person who covers their eyes almost every time he has the ball?
No, Reeves, you have Statto and ByTheRiver in adjoining seats.
A couple of us are just making the case that the argument / opinion is overstated, and in fact at times (not the post you just made) reverts to hyperbole and such posts are nonsensical (or codswallop as per another poster).
In your post you refer to your emotional state when Ream has the ball. Now this to me sounds odd as one of Ream's strengths is his distribution, and generally he makes good use of the ball. Has he made the odd mistake in possession? Yes, but taking risks playing out from the back is part of our mantra, and though not desirable, these things happen.
Quote from: Count Flapula
A fully fit / peak form Mawson and Hector would be a good enough pairing for the Premier League
I don't think he's ever going to be fully fit, and even it could be written in stone that he would be...I don't rate him at EPL levels with our current starting fullbacks.
Sent from my CMR-W19 using Tapatalk
Quote from: Sting of the North on February 07, 2020, 04:13:12 PM
Quote from: ByTheRiver on February 07, 2020, 03:54:01 PM
This is almost certainly why Kongolo was brought in. I hope he starts tomorrow and makes the position his own for the rest of the season (on paper, him and Hector could be a superb partnership. Very pacey too).
God forbid we have to bring Timothy Ream back in at any point. We can forget all about autos should that happen...
Why can things never be in moderation?
Personally I don't rate Ream too high as an actual defender, but I believe it is nothing but complete and utter hyperbole to suggest that he cannot hold his own to at least a decent degree at this level. In my opinion.
Agreed.
If Ream was ok in the promotion season playing beside Odoi he should be able to do fine at this level beside Hector.
IMO
Sent from my CMR-W19 using Tapatalk
How brutally we turn on our own players?
Quote from: SP on February 07, 2020, 08:01:58 PM
How brutally we turn on our own players?
I don't get this. Everyone entitled to opinion, that's what this is all about. If I don't think someone's good enough for our team and needs replacing, I'm gunna say it. Imagine if we all just thought all of our players were world class and we couldn't improve? If that was the case why did we get relegated last season?
Quote from: Whitesideup on February 07, 2020, 07:26:52 PMQuote from: Whitesideup on February 07, 2020, 07:26:52 PM
No, Reeves, you have Statto and ByTheRiver in adjoining seats.
A couple of us are just making the case that the argument / opinion is overstated, and in fact at times (not the post you just made) reverts to hyperbole and such posts are nonsensical (or codswallop as per another poster).
In your post you refer to your emotional state when Ream has the ball. Now this to me sounds odd as one of Ream's strengths is his distribution, and generally he makes good use of the ball. Has he made the odd mistake in possession? Yes, but taking risks playing out from the back is part of our mantra, and though not desirable, these things happen.
No, Reeves, you have Statto and ByTheRiver in adjoining seats.
A couple of us are just making the case that the argument / opinion is overstated, and in fact at times (not the post you just made) reverts to hyperbole and such posts are nonsensical (or codswallop as per another poster).
In your post you refer to your emotional state when Ream has the ball. Now this to me sounds odd as one of Ream's strengths is his distribution, and generally he makes good use of the ball. Has he made the odd mistake in possession? Yes, but taking risks playing out from the back is part of our mantra, and though not desirable, these things happen.
The ODD mistake? I was at the Charlton match. Anyone else that was there will know what I'm talking about. That game alone was enough for me to never see him play for us again.
And don't bring up the clean sheet, god knows how we didn't concede.
Quote from: JEEVES on February 07, 2020, 08:13:09 PM
Quote from: SP on February 07, 2020, 08:01:58 PM
How brutally we turn on our own players?
I don't get this. Everyone entitled to opinion, that's what this is all about. If I don't think someone's good enough for our team and needs replacing, I'm gunna say it. Imagine if we all just thought all of our players were world class and we couldn't improve? If that was the case why did we get relegated last season?
But it's the way you say it, and the exaggeration that defeats your own argument. For example nobody, but nobody, has said our current players are world class or indeed that we need "world class" defenders. So your use of the hyperbole not only makes your argument less credible but also means you are disrespectful of others' points of view.
Quote from: Whitesideup on February 07, 2020, 08:33:08 PM
Quote from: JEEVES on February 07, 2020, 08:13:09 PM
Quote from: SP on February 07, 2020, 08:01:58 PM
How brutally we turn on our own players?
I don't get this. Everyone entitled to opinion, that's what this is all about. If I don't think someone's good enough for our team and needs replacing, I'm gunna say it. Imagine if we all just thought all of our players were world class and we couldn't improve? If that was the case why did we get relegated last season?
But it's the way you say it, and the exaggeration that defeats your own argument. For example nobody, but nobody, has said our current players are world class or indeed that we need "world class" defenders. So your use of the hyperbole not only makes your argument less credible but also means you are disrespectful of others' points of view.
Read this 5 times and it still confused the hell out of me. Don't take everything so literal. Maybe I should have said "really good" instead of world class (my bad) only point I was trying to make was there's nothing wrong with being critical of a player when he's not up to it. I'm not one of those people who's gunna guna over look the great service a player has given us, but I'm also not guna sit there and be blinded by a good season a player had 2 years ago and pretend he's still a rock. All this hyperbole/ disrespectful mumbo jumbo is just you over analysing what I said.
Interesting debate. Such a shame that Alfie Mawson has suffered with injuries since he signed because he's got great talent. Our defence has been crap for far too long so changes have to be made. Michael Hector has been outstanding and needs a decent partner. It would be very easy for Scott Parker to select Tim Ream tomorrow. Moving forward it has to be Hector and Kongolo.
On the plus side, how nice is it to only be worried about one CB position. Big Hec already looks like the best CB in the league to me.
Quote from: Whitestone on February 07, 2020, 11:32:34 PM
Michael Hector has been outstanding and needs a decent partner. It would be very easy for Scott Parker to select Tim Ream tomorrow.
I think he will select Ream.
In three Championship matches partnering Hector, our opponents have managed only three shots on target (according to the offal).
Last weekend, Huddersfield had eight on target.
Quote from: Arthur on February 08, 2020, 12:13:20 AM
Quote from: Whitestone on February 07, 2020, 11:32:34 PM
Michael Hector has been outstanding and needs a decent partner. It would be very easy for Scott Parker to select Tim Ream tomorrow.
I think he will select Ream.
In three Championship matches partnering Hector, our opponents have managed only three shots on target (according to the offal).
Last weekend, Huddersfield had eight on target.
Yeah well if you claim 3 points that precious with a little full back at CB you've done well.
Quote from: Sting of the North on February 07, 2020, 05:57:51 PM
Quote from: ByTheRiver on February 07, 2020, 04:19:59 PM
Quote from: Sting of the North on February 07, 2020, 04:13:12 PM
Quote from: ByTheRiver on February 07, 2020, 03:54:01 PM
This is almost certainly why Kongolo was brought in. I hope he starts tomorrow and makes the position his own for the rest of the season (on paper, him and Hector could be a superb partnership. Very pacey too).
God forbid we have to bring Timothy Ream back in at any point. We can forget all about autos should that happen...
Why can things never be in moderation?
We missed automatic promotion by two points two years with an inferior squad and Ream playing CB almost all games. So it seems far fetched that our hopes for promotion should be totally gone just because we play a proven decent Championship defender when we are in a better spot (objectively) than compared to the same time that season as well as have a better squad (somehow subjective, but seems like most agree). Has Ream become so bad in your opinion so that we cannot win games with him in the team (even though actual facts states otherwise since he has played most of our games this season, including the three straight clean sheets before the game he was suspended)?
Personally I don't rate Ream too high as an actual defender, but I believe it is nothing but complete and utter hyperbole to suggest that he cannot hold his own to at least a decent degree at this level. In my opinion.
That Ream is now two years older, two years slower, two years weaker. He has been directly responsible for a number of goals this season and is always on the brink of an error. He is, at best, now a lower level Championship defender and has no place in a side fighting for the title/automatic promotion.
I'm sorry, I know he has fans on here (and suspected the last post would cause a bit of uproar), but it is the truth.
Yes, I know he had a season/season and half (combined) where he was semi decent on the ball, when he had little to do as we completely dominated possession in every match, but that was then and everything since has pointed otherwise. Saha was good, we wouldn't want him to lead the line tomorrow. Danny Murphy was good but we wouldn't want to drag him off the MoTD sofa and slot into CM tomorrow. Ream is gone. Finished. Done.
I am a fan of all players that are doing their best for Fulham, but I don't rate Ream very high in comparison to most of our players. You also don't have to be sorry, because you are at the end of the day entitled to your opinion. But you also are probably not doing your line of argument any favors when comparing Ream to long since retired players (I mean, I did kind of enjoy having a 32 year old non-retired Murphy in midfield).
Again (since you seem to try to ignore most counter arguments), did or did Ream not play the full 90 minutes as CB for several games in a row in which we conceded 0 goals in the last month or so? That alone should be sufficient evidence of FFC not being without a chance of promotion if Ream plays.
There is a difference between preferring other players and completely write a player off.
Fulham Fans seem to want to completely write players off, sell them for market value (i.e. for not much) and use that money to buy new players.
If you want to know how such a plan works in practice ask Sunderland 17/18, they performed that plan very well. It got them out of the Championship.
If you want to buy a quality center back, then we have to sell a valuable player like Mitovoic, but I would prefer to suffer with Ream's errors than to lose Mitro.
Our Centre Backs have kept the goal conceded down to 1.07 goals per game, if our front line can score 2.07 goals per game we will easily get Auto-Promoted.
