The View from South Texas -- AFC Sunderland v. Fulham FC

[HatterDon]

Lost in the Sunshine

If J.M. Barrie were reincarnated as a sports journalist, he might be tempted to refer to AFC Sunderland players in today's match as "The Lost Boys." Time after time throughout this very entertaining match, the players in red and white demonstrated their basic inability to accomplish routine football tasks. Thankfully, for them, the very organized and smoothly efficient team they were facing were Fulham FC, and so they paid very little for their sins. As usual, Fulham were calm, passed well, played passable defense, and only dropped by The Black Cats penalty area every now and again to make sure it was still there.

There were goals, though, by gum. Each team received and converted a penalty, courtesy of Mark Halsey. In my judgment, each incident was a foul in the penalty area. In my experience, on most days, with pretty much all other referees, neither of them is called. Fulham scored first. Set free by the endlessly creative Bryan Ruiz, Ashkan Dejagah was busily tying Craig Gardner into a knot, when the frustrated number 8 kicked him in both shins. Dejagah's over-elaborate fall made it look as if he were diving, but he actually was fouled. Berbatov executed a passable military two step before rolling the ball into the net as Simon Mignolet looked as if he didn't know whether to go blind or do the alternative. Fulham had scored in the 16th minute and they were still quite a while away from their first actual shot on goal.

That first shot on goal came in the 34th minute courtesy of Dejagah who was set free on a quick break away by a long accurate clearance from Mark Schwarzer [yes, Don, you really just typed that]. Fulham broke upfield rapidly while Sunderland did not. As a matter of fact, the only defender who raced to the Sunderland penalty area was Sascha Riether. As Dejagah pulled the trigger, Mignolet made an excellent save but could only parry the ball to the German RB, now playing left winger! Our very best player all season scored his first goal and either waved to God or to the Fulham supporters who were seated just a few yards below Him.

0-2 on the road ... against a team that had lost three in a row ... who didn't look like they could attack an unmanned taco stand. What could possibly go wrong enough to erode that lead? Well, two Sunderland goals for a start. First came the penalty decision – which was NOT in my old but lovely blue eyes payback. Phil Senderos was examining the stitching on Danny Graham's jersey just a little too closely for the referee's liking and that was that. Gardner hammered the ball home and it was 1-2, and if there was a Fulham fan anywhere who wasn't immediately filled with impending gloom, then I guarantee he was nowhere near South Texas nor was he or she in the FulhamUSA.com chatroom.

The final goal was an interesting mirror of the second. Bryan Ruiz lofted a beautiful ball into Berbatov's stride, the Bulgarian's quick shot was deflected by Mignolet, and off went Sessegnon haring towards Fulham's goal. Where just a few minutes earlier a Senderos deflection caused Graham to miss a chance on goal, this time a Senderos deflection enabled Sessegnon to eualize.

The rest of the match was fun to watch – especially for me since I had heard the result on the radio many hours before. Since there was no tension, I could enjoy the end-to-end action – regardless of the ineptitude of the play at times. There was also some enjoyment from the international broadcast feed of the match. The first was the graphic when Fulham's number 5, Brede Hangeland, received his yellow. The card, we were told, went to #2, Stephen Kelly. I immediately remembered the time that the Europa League "ref behind the goal" couldn't tell Hangeland from Bjorn Helge Riise, but at least Riise Minor was (a) on the pitch at the time and (b) playing for Fulham.

Another fun moment was when Berbatov dramatically pouted at a misplaced pass from Hangeland [is "Berbatov" Bulgarian for "flounce" I wonder]. Anyhow, the color announcer said, "He's complaining that Hangeland's 40 yard pass landed a few inches from where he wanted it. What does he expect, the man's a center half."

So we got a point on the road and, somehow, that was enough to get us into 10th. I see no way we'll make up the seven points necessary to get into 9th, but it could have been worse. And speaking of worse, I wonder what is in store for Sunderland. Their defending was a shambles at times and, despite having two hard working and talented strikers in Fletcher and Graham, and two talented wide attackers in Sessegnon and Johnson, the four can't seem to support each other. The look a dispirited lot, all in all, and this is not a great time of the season to go into a funk.

Sunderland's fans are no help either. Despite the fact that the best bet you could get would be that the 5th goal – if it came – would be scored by the team in red and white, their "supporters" started pouring out of the stadium with what turned out to be 10 minutes of football left. In the very apt words of one of the denizens of that chatroom I mentioned earlier, The Stadium of Light looked like Dodger Stadium in the seventh inning.

I'm typing this about 20 minutes after watching the match, but a good 6.5 hours after listening to it, so most of my outrage at – once again – giving up points from a winning position [something we're top of the league at this season] has abated. I am more positive of what I saw.

I like Dejagah's growth from game to game. I was impressed with Frimpong and even more so with Emanuelson. I was pleased to see that Demitar Flounce spent more time at the front of our attack than behind it. Although both Hangeland's and Senderos's performances weren't up to the standard of their last two, things were passable, and I am really beginning to warm to Karagounis. Riether continues to be an ongoing joy, but HatterDon's Man of the Match is, by a huge margin, Bryan Ruiz. Of all the boys playing in the Northeastern sunshine, he was the least lost.

[Lighthouse]

Well besides not understanding why the worst player I have seen in a Fulham shirt since Peter Storey, Frimpong ,is impressing so many fans. Plus why Ruiz who to me is wasted and too often caught with the ball playing behind the statue that is Berbatov is your MOM. Another entertaining report.

But I still don't 'get' Frimpong.

[timmyg]

Good stuff per usual Don. Though I'd argue that Sunderland have been in a funk all season. Perplexing.

And speaking of usual, usually two mediocre teams just above the relegation fray facing another in early March equals a draw. Sadly we had to concede a two goal lead in the process. Oh well.

[Ag]

Not to pick nits, but you've got the 2nd goal wrong.  The long clearance by Schwarzer to Dejagah came to nothing after he dragged his shot well wide, missing the net and keeper entirely.  The Reither goal was about 10 minutes later.  It did come from slotting home the rebound off a Dejagah shot, but that was on a counter that was launched by Ruiz.

[HatterDon]

Not to pick nits, but you've got the 2nd goal wrong.  The long clearance by Schwarzer to Dejagah came to nothing after he dragged his shot well wide, missing the net and keeper entirely.  The Reither goal was about 10 minutes later.  It did come from slotting home the rebound off a Dejagah shot, but that was on a counter that was launched by Ruiz.

Thanks. I did err, but the poetry was still accurate, and that's enough for me.

[St Eve]

The facts are wrong. They were both penalties. Their penalty is not often given but it was a penalty. MOM was Dejagah by a country mile. Certainly not Ruiz.

[Burt]

Well besides not understanding why the worst player I have seen in a Fulham shirt since Peter Storey, Frimpong ,is impressing so many fans. Plus why Ruiz who to me is wasted and too often caught with the ball playing behind the statue that is Berbatov is your MOM. Another entertaining report.

But I still don't 'get' Frimpong.

What's the point of Frimpong? Easy - he is Scapegoat-In-Waiting  :dft011:

[cmg]

What's the point of Frimpong? Easy - he is Scapegoat-In-Waiting  :dft011:

...he'll have to join the queue!

The last bloke to get that 'worst player to pull on a Fulham shirt' accolade was, and I remember laughing at it at the time, Dickson Etuhu and that was based on about as much evidence as we have so far had about Frimpong.
I often wondered whether the person who posted the remark ever changed his(or her) mind. Probably not - after all there are some out there who do not think that Bryan Ruiz was the best player on view for us yesterday.

[Lighthouse]

The comment about worst player was slightly tongue in posterior. In another thread I asked what I was missing because other fans like Frimpong. But I have yet to see him in the grief time I have watched him for us, look anything but poor in touch and movement. Now he will no doubt prove me wrong as everybody and all things do. But right now I have decided to put all my dislike for the modern game and all my pathetic failures in life onto the shoulders of Frimpong.

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[cmg]

The comment about worst player was slightly tongue in posterior. In another thread I asked what I was missing because other fans like Frimpong. But I have yet to see him in the grief time I have watched him for us, look anything but poor in touch and movement. Now he will no doubt prove me wrong as everybody and all things do. But right now I have decided to put all my dislike for the modern game and all my pathetic failures in life onto the shoulders of Frimpong.

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'Brief' rather than 'grief', I hope, my friend! (Although there has, obviously, been some of that, too).

I'm not totally convinced by Frimpong myself. I guess he is seen as some sort of 'enforcer' type (bit like Etuhu) but with a bit of creativity (which we have yet to see any evidence of). If he was Claude Makelele we would be all right. But not many of them come along...and if they do they don't get sent on loan to Fulham.
I have always thought that our problems are midfield ones. Arguments about goalkeepers, Senderos, Ruiz, Berbatov, although entertaining, are just smokescreens. If you lose two players like Murphy and Dembele you are really looking for 2 and a half players to replace them. If we had a young Murph we could afford to 'waste' somebody to look after him. As it is we are asking two of Sidwell/Frimpong/Karagounis to do a job that they are, together, not quite capable of performing. Both Sidwell and Karagounis have shown great committment and effort this season, I can't praise them enough, but the fact remains that they don't have the skills and/or legs to fulfill the task.

[Lighthouse]

 :005: Grief for Brief - Well to quote Hatter - 'I did err, but the poetry was still accurate'

As for the point about the midfield Cmg - I agree. The best we have tried to do this season is put plaster and polyfilla on the problem that the loss of too many influencial central midfielder players gave us.

[BillNRoc]

HD, perhaps your initial instincts were right -- waiting hours to post the View took too much sting out of the assessment, in my view. Whether Senderos is just not very good or just very unlucky, he was on point for both opposition goals today. And most of us suspected/expected/feared that was likely to happen as soon as he gave up the penalty.

As the ESPN FC match report has it, FFC were mediocre at best. Few chances created in the 1st half, fewer in the 2nd. Lots of dashing around and effort by Kara and Sidwell, to little result. I, too, do not 'get' Frimpong, a holding mid who doesn't hold very well. But I really don't 'get' why Emanuelson sits until so late in the match, game after game. He has pace, appears to have some ideas and some talent, and probably has some defensive liabilities. But we're a club that struggles to score from open play, that needs someone who might actually be able to deliver what Murphy and Dembele used to bring. And he sits, while the ancient Greek and the red-headed Englishman frustrate Mr. Flounce time and again.

OTOH, maybe I'd be better off if I had listened to the radio or followed the match online in real time, so the (disappointing) result wouldn't have distracted me during the mid-afternoon tv broadcast.

[sipwell]

As usual, this was a great read. I also admire your choice as MoM, especially since Ruiz is mostly invisible during the games but orchestrates a lot of attacks. If he could find the back of the net - like his fellow Dejagah - we would love him.

[HatterDon]

The facts are wrong. They were both penalties. Their penalty is not often given but it was a penalty. MOM was Dejagah by a country mile. Certainly not Ruiz.

Which facts are those?

[cmg]

The facts are wrong. They were both penalties. Their penalty is not often given but it was a penalty. MOM was Dejagah by a country mile. Certainly not Ruiz.

Which facts are those?

"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true."
                                                                                                 (Albert Einstein....or somebody like that)

[Burt]

The facts are wrong. They were both penalties. Their penalty is not often given but it was a penalty. MOM was Dejagah by a country mile. Certainly not Ruiz.

Which facts are those?

"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true."
                                                                                                 (Albert Einstein....or somebody like that)

I think I said something similar to my history teacher at school. He wrote "talks a lot, says little" in my subsequent school report. Still one of the best one liners I have come across to this day.

Quite accurate, too  :dft011:

[jarv]

great report. Agree both were penalties but a case could be made for the Senderos penalty.

the reason it was given, it was not a crowded penalty area, it was a one on one and he needed to keep his hands to himself.

what could ahve been given was an indirect free kick for obstruction. the ;law states  "impeding the progress of an opponent" which he did witout bringing him down or rugby tackling. he "obstructed" his opponent.  oh well.  just saying!

[Bassey the warrior]

Well besides not understanding why the worst player I have seen in a Fulham shirt since Peter Storey, Frimpong ,is impressing so many fans. Plus why Ruiz who to me is wasted and too often caught with the ball playing behind the statue that is Berbatov is your MOM. Another entertaining report.

But I still don't 'get' Frimpong.

Give the guy a break seriously. He's barely played this year, still lacking sharpness. He did okay I thought. Very foolish error though, very foolish indeed.

[Snibbo]

Lovely report HD, very well and amusingly written.

Again, a pedantic point.

"I immediately remembered the time that the Europa League "ref behind the goal" couldn't tell Hangeland from Bjorn Helge Riise, but at least Riise Minor was (a) on the pitch at the time and (b) playing for Fulham."

No, that was Stephen Kelly, not Baby Riise.

[HatterDon]

Damn, Mr. Snibbo, I was absolutely certain it was BHR. Senility is creeping up on me with a big-ass stick.