Who should strike this weekend?

[JohnKovacs]

Assuming Danny can go, who do you fancy striking? I really like Dembele in the hole (soft striker), but who should we put up top? Zamora hasn't done eff all in quite awhile, AJ tries like hell, but just gets pushed off the ball, and loves to go wide. Personally, I would try Dempsey at striker. He's a proven goal scorer, and let's face it, pigs almost have as good of chance at flying as Bobby does scoring right now. AJ can score against weaker competition, but probably not against Swansea. Is it maybe worth giving Sa a go and keeping Dempsey at outside mid or was my initial thinking better? I'm leaning towards Clint striking as I think that gives us the best odds to find the back of their net.

Thoughts? 079.gif

[jarv]

Anyone but BZ. He looks completely lost out there. On current form, if a good offer comes in, take it.

[fulham pete]

With Bobby playing at the top of a front 4 the opposing centre backs can keep close, one challeging for the ball the other picking off the seconds. If we go with AJ we must play to HIS strengths, with balls over the top and wide for him to run onto. The advan tage here is that he can pull the centre backs apart and out of the middle leaving space for the other 3 to exploit.

When it works its great to watch and productive but does require intelligent running and the ability to pick a good pass from all 4.
The other option here is the dummy run to create space for a Murphy killer ball.

I think we can succeed with AJ against Swansea. Moose, Clint and Bryan are all clever ball players and are getting used to each other and the system. Duff, Frei and Simon Davies can all fit in without disturbing the balance.

Don't know about you guys but I am quite excited by this. 

[Tom]

I would take AJ over the Bobby we saw play last game.

[os5889]

I think as well the way Swansea play is much akin to ours we both retai the ball quite well. I think they are more fluent however up top and we are more fluent defensively.

If Swansea keep hold of the ball I fancy a 0-0 as our defence and their attack may counter itself out.

The key battle is Dyer V Riise for me. Having seen Dyer a lot (and played against him when I lived in Southampton) I can say he's one quick and balanced pocket rocket, a stronger SWP if you like.... 

As such I think playing 4-4-2 would be a must, the pressure is on Swansea to get a result so I expect them to be more pressing and Riise will need defensive help. As such Briggs and Frei would not be in my mind starters as they aren't very adept at tracking back or defending from midfield. I've been impressed with Dembele defensively so he could be a good choice on the left.

If Riise and his midfield partner can Dyer in check we have a chance.

Centrally Dixon with whoever, I suppose Gecov would be the obvious choice, though Sidwell or Dembele could play there and Ruiz play on the left..

On the other wing we have Sinclair and Taylor, both quick and nippy, as such I wouldnt play Baird even if he's over his personal problems (flashbacks of Lennon  ) and would stick with Kelly and play Duff if fit on the right.

As for up top Dempsey behind Zamora for me.

[TonyGilroy]

I want to know what the problem is with Zamora.

Fitness, form, attitude? We can guess but Jol will know.

If it's fitness then I'd rest him until he's fit.

If it's form then keep playing him in the expectation that he'll come good.

If it's attitude then some hard talking is necessary and if that doesn't bring him round then he needs to be left out and sold.

[richie17]

I would be inclined to go with the team that finished on Monday.  We need to pack the midfield because Swansea keep the ball better than anyone in the league, so just have AJ harrying and ensure Ruiz, Dembele and Dempsey are able to support him when we do get the ball.

[BalDrick]

Is Kasimi a striker or another of these floaters in the hole, of which we seem to have close to an XI at the moment? Scored for the stiffs the other night (albeit from a free kick - that'd be nice in itself - and had a few more chances). Sa also scored in that game but missed a few as well I think.

I can't understand why Zamora keeps starting, unless he's contractually obliged to do so. Something you don't really get when watching on TV but was he instrumental in pulling some defenders out of position on Monday night? Because he did precious little else.

Said it plenty of times here but we will never be able to get as good a price for him as now, in that sense adios I think.

[epsomraver]

I doubt any footballer could have "must start if fit" in his contract

[BalDrick]

I doubt any footballer could have "must start if fit" in his contract

Well no you wouldn't have thought so but I'm sure I've heard of it before.

[MJG]

The trouble is that AJ up front on his own does not really work, the ball just does not stick up there.
I would be inclined to go with Dempsey, then Sa or even Kasami to see if he could do anything.
I do suspect it will be BZ who starts because we really don't have a choice do we?

[Logicalman]

Bobby, albeit the great player he can be, is good only for one type of play, over the top of midfield, and he uses his strength to hold the ball whilst others get up to whom he can lay it off to.

We have seen, with Dembele, Deuce, Kelly, Ruiz, Riise and Duff, we have the power to take the ball from our own half and run outside the midfield. So this leaves Bobby useful for one thing only, and I would submit its not the type of play that has led to many goals this season.

If Bobby was to leave, I doubt we would see very much change in either our results or standard of play.

The partnership we saw in Woys day of Bobby and AJ working together is in the past, Dembele and Ruiz are the future of our attacking force.

[Peabody]

Cannot believe that some of you are jumping on the Bobby is useless bandwagon again, he is in a poor run of form at present, even allowing for that, he still gives us things that no other player gives us and when he is not playing we do not look as effective. I suspect that some of you have never liked Bobby and never will. You have had to keep quiet for the last couple of seasons but now he is having a poor run, its lets get of Dicksons back and get back on the Bobby bashing wagon.

[Jack Fulham]

Cannot believe that some of you are jumping on the Bobby is useless bandwagon again, he is in a poor run of form at present, even allowing for that, he still gives us things that no other player gives us and when he is not playing we do not look as effective. I suspect that some of you have never liked Bobby and never will. You have had to keep quiet for the last couple of seasons but now he is having a poor run, its lets get of Dicksons back and get back on the Bobby bashing wagon.

Everyone is aware of Bobby's ability and as you state, he is in a poor run of form so the easy thing to do is drop him. He's not useless but all he really offered us against Liverpool was a few chest downs. We could be brilliant if we had Dempsey, Dembele and Ruiz playing in behind the Bobby of last season. He's not up to it at the moment so we may as well play Johnson or Sa.

[BalDrick]

'Dembele and Ruiz are the future of our attacking force'

I'd like to think so but I'd also like to know what the club plans to do once they realise Dembele ain't about to sign an extension, and therefore has a season and a half left before he can leave for free - something I think the club highly unlikely to allow. Perhaps we have a deal already done with another club for a swap - who knows? Hopefully someone at the club.


'I suspect that some of you have never liked Bobby and never will.'

Scarcely worthy of a response but I will anyway - I like all players that try, and ideally succeed but trying is the big one, for FFC, and conversely I don't like any player, for whatever club, who doesn't try. The wages footballers are on nowadays are beyond ridiculous - even someone who aspires to warming our bench probably earns more in a month than most of us do in a year - which is why I try not to think about them, but when I see a player not trying it really hacks me off. Particularly as they're being paid a king's ransom to play football FFS.

[FulhamMic]

Zamora – 6.5, took a knock early on in the game and wasn't very mobile for the rest of it which meant it was difficult for him to recieve the ball. However, when he did he was strong up against two big centre halves in Skrtl and Agger, and he layed the ball off pretty well. Our player seemed to pick up pace when Johnson came on but remember it wasn't long after that when Spearing was sent off. I also worry that we lose our shape when we lose Zamora. He's still not showing the tenacity and aggression perhaps that was the trademark of his 19 goal season with us, but he is still playing okay, and we are a better team with him in it.

From Hammyend.com - couldn't have put it better myself.

[Peabody]

'Dembele and Ruiz are the future of our attacking force'

I'd like to think so but I'd also like to know what the club plans to do once they realise Dembele ain't about to sign an extension, and therefore has a season and a half left before he can leave for free - something I think the club highly unlikely to allow. Perhaps we have a deal already done with another club for a swap - who knows? Hopefully someone at the club.


'I suspect that some of you have never liked Bobby and never will.'

Scarcely worthy of a response but I will anyway - I like all players that try, and ideally succeed but trying is the big one, for FFC, and conversely I don't like any player, for whatever club, who doesn't try. The wages footballers are on nowadays are beyond ridiculous - even someone who aspires to warming our bench probably earns more in a month than most of us do in a year - which is why I try not to think about them, but when I see a player not trying it really hacks me off. Particularly as they're being paid a king's ransom to play football FFS.

Just expressing my opinion as you all do and by the way, just showing my ignorance but  what does FFS mean?

[Burt]

Like Mr Gilroy has said, Jol is in a far better position than us to know what is going on with BZ and so whether he starts or not is a function of whether he is carrying an injury (do not play, let him recover), out of form (play him, on the basis it has to pick up at some stage), or mentally checked out of the club (sell him).

[Peabody]

Common sense as always Burt

[Jack Fulham]

@Peabody FFS means For F**k sake.