Match thread vs. Swansea - stockdale starts, as do briggs, and frei

[Mino the Waiter]

Ruiz cannot play wide, how long will Jol take to realise this?

[Fulham_Surrey]

Lighthouse, when you say Berba is no player for the scrap, 2 season ago, when Rooney threw his toy off the pram and went on strike, Man Utd were 5 points behind Chelsea, and Berba put them 5 points ahead by the time Rooney was back.  He can be there for the scrap, Jol needs to motivate him more and even bench him.  Berba played very well today, but made a HUUUGGEEEE MENTAL error, when he did not stay onside during the disallowed goal.  Had he stayed 2 steps back, he still would have scored.  But it has happened to every striker on the planet.  Just unlucky.  Berba and Ruiz combination is good.  Now, Arsenal want to get rid of Arshavin who wants to stay in London to be close to both his kids and his mistress, so... I think we need to go for him.

[RoyTund]

I really thought we'd get at least 4 points from these two games and could start to look upwards.  The reality is we are on the fringe of a relegation fight.  

Plus sides? a somewhat improved performance and Ruiz.

[PokerMatt]

If we had got 3 points and played like garbage I would be more worried than 0 points and the good 2. half we displayed.
We should have got atleast 1 point but their golie can take the credit.

But if we can carry our play from second half into the next line of games and with a few signings in january then we should secure our place in the league for next season.

Really? I find that hard to believe.

It's a points based game and it's points more than performances that build morale in a team.

Well you do have a point. Points would have been wonderful and well needed, but as I stated earlier all I wanted to see was heart, and that they where willing to die out there in the second half. They did not display  the "I don't give a sh*t attitude* so tbh. Im optimistic. With the chance we created then yes we should have got points but their golie coulden't have had a better game.

Yeah fair enough, I see what you're saying. Just my point of view it's at the point I don't care how well we play as long as we take points. I'd honestly take a few Pulis rugby wins than pretty defeats right now.

[itombomb]

I've been defending Jol, but I have no idea what those substitutions were.

[kennethwong20]

does anyone know why Kaca didn't play today?

[Mitrovic the warrior]

Anyone who says Berba can't play in a relegation fight should have a good look at the seasons highlights. He is passionate, hard working and demanding. He wants to win and he is not a luxury player, he puts his heart and soul into his performances as much as any other player. Today was one of his poorer games.

[RoyTund]

Looking on the bright side next season we get Millwall and Nottingham Forest away..  We will probably also still have a West London derby with QPR too.  Every cloud has a silver lining!

and Brentford if they get promoted.  Even if we really do get into the scrap I can't see us finishing behind 3 of QPR, Wigan, Reading, Southampton or Villa.

[itombomb]

Sidwell has been immense today. So much energy. Such good reading of the play.

Yet he is still far too slow and gave the ball away loads.

[RoyTund]

Anyone who says Berba can't play in a relegation fight should have a good look at the seasons highlights. He is passionate, hard working and demanding. He wants to win and he is not a luxury player, he puts his heart and soul into his performances as much as any other player. Today was one of his poorer games.

no way we cannot play Berbatov - short memories!  Especially true if Petric is injured.

[Mino the Waiter]

does anyone know why Kaca didn't play today?

I'm guessing tiredness?

[Lighthouse]

Lighthouse, when you say Berba is no player for the scrap, 2 season ago, when Rooney threw his toy off the pram and went on strike, Man Utd were 5 points behind Chelsea, and Berba put them 5 points ahead by the time Rooney was back.  He can be there for the scrap, Jol needs to motivate him more and even bench him.  Berba played very well today, but made a HUUUGGEEEE MENTAL error, when he did not stay onside during the disallowed goal.  Had he stayed 2 steps back, he still would have scored.  But it has happened to every striker on the planet.  Just unlucky.  Berba and Ruiz combination is good.  Now, Arsenal want to get rid of Arshavin who wants to stay in London to be close to both his kids and his mistress, so... I think we need to go for him.

I wouldn't disagree with the Berbatov points. But just feel at this point in the Prem we need a scrapper and not a poser. Berbatov had much better players around him at Utd. He seems incapable of fighting for a poor pass while being too idle in his own play. A great player yes but we need a scrapper.

[Fulham_Surrey]

Lighthouse, certainly there are such traits, but the guy also wants to win. So I reckon he will be more motivated now.  He was pressing opposing players today, something I had not seen him do in Fulham shirt before, so the desire and motivation are getting there.  On another topic, still think our luck has been abysmal.  I think we will win big against Blackpool as they will get at then end of the whopping stick, so I hope that changes our fortunes in the league as well.

[grandad]

We were massively in the ascendancy and the subs kind of changed that. But we had no depth on the bench whatsoever.

We did.  I found it a bizarre bench to have.  However sticking Hangers up there said it all and made us worse.

In the days of old it was quite common to send the centre half up front. John Dempsey, Bobby Keetch, & Roy Bentley did on many occasions.

[grandad]

Stats give us 60% possession, 22 shots, 13 on target. A big improvement over recent games. But for 2 GK howlers we should have ran out comfortable winners.

[Denver Fulham]

I understand our options are limited at the moment, but Berbatov, Rodellega and Ruiz can't all play at once. (At least) one of them is totally out of position and pretty much useless to the cause.