Where did everyone go?

[epsomraver]

Really? to nearly concede a 3 goal lead only staved off by a great save,  is Jol delivering is it? God help us if he wasn't delivering, he put Urby on, he sees him in training every day as we are reminded so often by his devotees and then it is not his fault when he plays poorly? that's what managing means, not going eeny miny mo along the subs bench

[sipwell]

Really? to nearly concede a 3 goal lead only staved off by a great save,  is Jol delivering is it? God help us if he wasn't delivering, he put Urby on, he sees him in training every day as we are reminded so often by his devotees and then it is not his fault when he plays poorly? that's what managing means, not going eeny miny mo along the subs bench

Gladiators, back in the time, were appreciated for making things exciting (thus not killing the slave directly, but let him run around for a bit). Jol does the same: it could have been game over at 3-0 and a very boring second half. Instead, we got a nail-biter. Berbatov said afterwards that he always knew Fulham would win, so it was scripted.

Jol for an Emmy!

[BestOfBrede]

Really? to nearly concede a 3 goal lead only staved off by a great save,  is Jol delivering is it? God help us if he wasn't delivering, he put Urby on, he sees him in training every day as we are reminded so often by his devotees and then it is not his fault when he plays poorly? that's what managing means, not going eeny miny mo along the subs bench

"Not sure you can blame Jol on this one....
We were in complete control until Dejagah went off (Forced change - not of Jol's doing), the Ref not sending off Hill (Not Jol's fault), Zorba's slip hence bad back pass (Not Jol's fault), Dodgy Pen given (Not Jol's fault), Sidwell steaming in like a mad man and getting sent off (Not Jol's fault) - anymore?"

[TonyGilroy]

Really? to nearly concede a 3 goal lead only staved off by a great save,  is Jol delivering is it? God help us if he wasn't delivering, he put Urby on, he sees him in training every day as we are reminded so often by his devotees and then it is not his fault when he plays poorly? that's what managing means, not going eeny miny mo along the subs bench

Are the results this year not acceptable?

[HatterDon]

Really? to nearly concede a 3 goal lead only staved off by a great save,  is Jol delivering is it? God help us if he wasn't delivering, he put Urby on, he sees him in training every day as we are reminded so often by his devotees and then it is not his fault when he plays poorly? that's what managing means, not going eeny miny mo along the subs bench

Are the results this year not acceptable?

Considering that our squad was filled out with rent-a-players, our league position in early April is more than acceptable. The quality of the football we've have seen for extended periods is another thing altogether. Stoke City are mid-table and will survive. There's nothing wrong with their league position, but there's a lot wrong with their football.

Apples and oranges, Tony.

Oh, and one major reason we're playing more attractive and productive football now is that our new manager, Martin Jol, came in and stopped Berbatov from playing in the centre circle. Now that our main Bulgarian is leading the attack, things are much better. I'm glad that Martin Jol came to our rescue and replaced that idiot who was playing Berbatov out of position.

[epsomraver]

Really? to nearly concede a 3 goal lead only staved off by a great save,  is Jol delivering is it? God help us if he wasn't delivering, he put Urby on, he sees him in training every day as we are reminded so often by his devotees and then it is not his fault when he plays poorly? that's what managing means, not going eeny miny mo along the subs bench

Are the results this year not acceptable?

Considering that our squad was filled out with rent-a-players, our league position in early April is more than acceptable. The quality of the football we've have seen for extended periods is another thing altogether. Stoke City are mid-table and will survive. There's nothing wrong with their league position, but there's a lot wrong with their football.

Apples and oranges, Tony.

Oh, and one major reason we're playing more attractive and productive football now is that our new manager, Martin Jol, came in and stopped Berbatov from playing in the centre circle. Now that our main Bulgarian is leading the attack, things are much better. I'm glad that Martin Jol came to our rescue and replaced that idiot who was playing Berbatov out of position.

:plus one:

[Peabody]

 :yay:Do we really need this battle? Either sides arguments are all based on conjecture because neither side has full access to the facts. It is all based on what we see and not what know and by know, I mean one hundred percent know.

Is it not time that either side recognise that they not going to convince the other side that their way of supporting our team is better than the other side and let's move on. Or isit that we just enjoy an argy?

[Berserker]

:yay:Do we really need this battle? Either sides arguments are all based on conjecture because neither side has full access to the facts. It is all based on what we see and not what know and by know, I mean one hundred percent know.

Is it not time that either side recognise that they not going to convince the other side that their way of supporting our team is better than the other side and let's move on. Or isit that we just enjoy an argy?

Bit like politics isn't it  :005:

[alfie]

There are some people on this board that
1. will never accept Jol
2. have always accepted Jol
3. did not like him to start with but now have warmed to him
4. blamed him for absolutely everything, but not any of the players
5. blamed the players for absolutely everything but never Jol

I agree with everyones opinions but occasionally i like to express my own.

with that in mind lets enjoy a little bit of success in winning games and get on and support our team.

I thank you

[MasterHaynes]

Odd time to post this. We were three up against the bottom team and then were pleased to come away with a win and a penalty save. Jol actually didn't do great in his subs until he had to after the sending off.


But we have done well in the last ten games only losing to Manchester clubs. So nothing has changed my doubts on a wasted season and Jol as a manager. But I am not going to keep making the same points after a narrow win against the HA HAs.

Not sure you can blame Jol on this one....
We were in complete control until Dejagah went off (Forced change - not of Jol's doing), the Ref not sending off Hill (Not Jol's fault), Zorba's slip hence bad back pass (Not Jol's fault), Dodgy Pen given (Not Jol's fault), Sidwell steaming in like a mad man and getting sent off (Not Jol's fault) - anymore?

This boards speciality is finding someone to blame - so this is not good enough - you cannot have a situation where no one is to blame. Don't you have someone on standby for situations like this?

Senderos is normally responsible for everything thats bad isn't he but he is confounding his critics at the moment.

[Roberty]

Odd time to post this. We were three up against the bottom team and then were pleased to come away with a win and a penalty save. Jol actually didn't do great in his subs until he had to after the sending off.


But we have done well in the last ten games only losing to Manchester clubs. So nothing has changed my doubts on a wasted season and Jol as a manager. But I am not going to keep making the same points after a narrow win against the HA HAs.

Not sure you can blame Jol on this one....
We were in complete control until Dejagah went off (Forced change - not of Jol's doing), the Ref not sending off Hill (Not Jol's fault), Zorba's slip hence bad back pass (Not Jol's fault), Dodgy Pen given (Not Jol's fault), Sidwell steaming in like a mad man and getting sent off (Not Jol's fault) - anymore?

This boards speciality is finding someone to blame - so this is not good enough - you cannot have a situation where no one is to blame. Don't you have someone on standby for situations like this?

Senderos is normally responsible for everything thats bad isn't he but he is confounding his critics at the moment.

I knew that there would be someone to blame.
So that's the answer - Senderos is playing far too well and it is his fault that we are not loosing.

[bigalffc]

We are all still here. It's nice and 'right' that we are finally playing well, but don't forget, this is a wasted season in SOME ways because we pissed away 4 months of the season playing some of the worst football seen by a Fulham team in the past 5 seasons. 

Its fantastic we are playing up to our potential...finally, but we were a poor team for more than a third of the season.

As a doomsayer, I'm thrilled with beating QPR and by the way we are playing at the moment.

:plus one: :plus one: I will state quite clearly I do not like Jol or  his tactics and talking to a lot of fans around my area I am not alone

:plus one: :plus one: :plus one:

[Oiseau]

Well, since you brought it up ... .

Why does our recent excellent run suddenly make untrue the fact that it was preceded by 3 months of utter crap on the pitch? The fact that we ran out week after week with no apparent game plan, no ability to adjust to opponents, no understanding of the art of tactical substitution, is just that -- FACT.

I like the way we're playing now; I didn't like the way we were playing then. Simple. I still find myself shaking my head remembering how the Jol for Sainthood Brigade applauded him after the dire football Fulham were featuring match after match during that period. With a rueful smile, I recall how any criticism of our manager was met with accusations of disloyalty. NO! Our extended run of woeful form had nothing to do with Jol. It was mostly Senderos's fault, augmented by the fact that EVERY SINGLE MATCH this season was officiated by the worst referee in the Prem.

I like the way we're playing now. What I DON'T like is that due to our over-reliance on loans and short-term contracts, our squad is going to be dismantled after the final whistle. We don't have the money available to buy all the replacements we need. Our young players, we are assured, are not good enough to step up, so there'll be more short-term contracts and more loans. The steady squad strengthening we saw under Hodgson and Hughes -- and Jol in his first season -- is a thing of the past.

But I like the way we're playing now.

FUN FACT:

Senderos didn't play in our most awful matches this season (QPR, Liverpool, Southampton...)
That was Hughes!

Our results improved with Senderos in the side for reasons that I've written about many a time before. Please stop bashing Phil.
:021:

I also think our reliance on older players and loanees is more to do with the financial situation of the club at the moment. It's also true that buying talented older players (who we couldn't afford in their prime) is a realistic purchasing model for this club with it's limited budget and eye for sustainability.

[Edwatch_Winston_Malone]

More likely to have been driven away by threads about humorous mnemonics...

[Rupert]

More likely to have been driven away by threads about humorous mnemonics...

If you are going to slag me off for my miserable spelling early in the morning, get it right, please.
Humerous, dear boy, not humorous, it's not as if Luton is in the USA.

I shall now go away and hang my head in shame for a while.

[Arthur]

Why does our recent excellent run suddenly make untrue the fact that it was preceded by 3 months of utter crap on the pitch? The fact that we ran out week after week with no apparent game plan, no ability to adjust to opponents, no understanding of the art of tactical substitution, is just that -- FACT.

This looks far more like an opinion than a fact.

What is a fact is that we had a poor run of results. What is a fact is that some performances in that run were universally regarded as poor.

In my opinion, despite the disappointing run, there were a number of times when we performed to an acceptable level: we might have taken something from the Sunderland game, even with ten men; we put in a sterling second-half showing at the Bridge; we gave a good account of ourselves for an hour against Spurs and followed this with an entertaining victory over Newcastle. I could go on...

'Utter crap'? Not a fact but an opinion - in my opinion.

Did Jol abandon 'game plans' in mid-November? And has he reintroduced them since West Ham? As we both know, it takes little football knowledge to proclaim, 'We were rubbish'; it takes rather more insight to analyse whether or not the manager has sent out his team without any tactical advice - and then show that those players had an 'inability to adjust' as a result of those tactics (or lack of them). And as you evidently do understand the art of tactical substitution, a few enlightening examples would be appreciated.

[HatterDon]

Why does our recent excellent run suddenly make untrue the fact that it was preceded by 3 months of utter crap on the pitch? The fact that we ran out week after week with no apparent game plan, no ability to adjust to opponents, no understanding of the art of tactical substitution, is just that -- FACT.

This looks far more like an opinion than a fact.

What is a fact is that we had a poor run of results. What is a fact is that some performances in that run were universally regarded as poor.

In my opinion, despite the disappointing run, there were a number of times when we performed to an acceptable level: we might have taken something from the Sunderland game, even with ten men; we put in a sterling second-half showing at the Bridge; we gave a good account of ourselves for an hour against Spurs and followed this with an entertaining victory over Newcastle. I could go on...

'Utter crap'? Not a fact but an opinion - in my opinion.

Did Jol abandon 'game plans' in mid-November? And has he reintroduced them since West Ham? As we both know, it takes little football knowledge to proclaim, 'We were rubbish'; it takes rather more insight to analyse whether or not the manager has sent out his team without any tactical advice - and then show that those players had an 'inability to adjust' as a result of those tactics (or lack of them). And as you evidently do understand the art of tactical substitution, a few enlightening examples would be appreciated.

Hey, if you guys are all convinced that we didn't play like absolute rubbish for 15 or 16 consecutive matches earlier in the season, I'll be happy to withdraw from the field of discussion, and blame Senderos again.

Perhaps this time someone will see that this blame is ironic.  1500.gif

[Bassey the warrior]

We are all still here. It's nice and 'right' that we are finally playing well, but don't forget, this is a wasted season in SOME ways because we pissed away 4 months of the season playing some of the worst football seen by a Fulham team in the past 5 seasons. 

Its fantastic we are playing up to our potential...finally, but we were a poor team for more than a third of the season.

As a doomsayer, I'm thrilled with beating QPR and by the way we are playing at the moment.

:plus one: :plus one: I will state quite clearly I do not like Jol or  his tactics and talking to a lot of fans around my area I am not alone

What's your problem with him or his tactics? I find him a very likeable guy.

[TonyGilroy]

I find it bizarre that he can be blamed (probably fairly) for a bad run of performances and results earlier in the season yet be given no credit for correcting the weaknesses and producing a successful team for the last three months.

Even when we win the performance is somehow unacceptable yet when we were losing the result was all that mattered.

[Arthur]

Hey, if you guys are all convinced that we didn't play like absolute rubbish for 15 or 16 consecutive matches earlier in the season, I'll be happy to withdraw from the field of discussion, and blame Senderos again.

I can't answer for other 'guys', but yes, I don't believe we were absolute rubbish in all of those games. Got it in one.

More to the point, however, I wanted to demonstrate that it isn't as clear cut as you claim that we were absolute rubbish and to expose your other so-called 'facts' as mere opinions also (and unsupported ones at that).