One thing i hate about the current fulham team

[Slaphead in Qatar]

when opposition forwards are steaming towards our penalty box, why do our defenders keeping backing off. its happened all season, and noticeable in the later periods against newcastle and villa.

we are inviting trouble. our boys don't seem to understand the meaning of closing down.

[Burt]

I think the broader problem is sitting back / sitting deep. Has been noticeable in the last few games, as it was earlier in the season during our bad run of form. We are not good at it. We are better with the ball.

[fulhamben]

I think the broader problem is sitting back / sitting deep. Has been noticeable in the last few games, as it was earlier in the season during our bad run of form. We are not good at it. We are better with the ball.

its even worse when we dont have ashkan or frei to get the ball and run it into the corners to take some pressure off. thank god ruiz and berba are able to hold onto it when they get it or we would never get out of our half. (add reither to that too)

[MJG]

I agree about the playing deeper and deeper as the game goes on. I'm convinced its to do partly with the age of team and the amount of 30 Plus players we have. Tired minds and bodies.

Another thing is the lack of shots we have, whereas the opponents always seem to outshoot us.

Figures show that we average 12.3 shots per game which puts us 15th in the lge. All the teams in 16-20th are below us in the proper lge table. Reading are worst with 9.5 and Liverpool are top with 18.

We allow 16.3 shots per game against us; this puts us 4th in the table. Reading (18.1), Villa and Sunderland are above us.

If we are aiming at getting into the top seven we have to reduce that to something like 10-12 per game. Likewise our shots per game need to get above 15.

Those figures don't really prove anything but does show I think where we are lacking.

[Mr K.Dilkington]

Senderos.

[Ruiz11]

Hughes backed off and backed off against Rooney at the Cottage and was dropped, even though the goal came from Senderos' mistake. We haven't seen him since. Riise did the same in the 4-0 defeat at Liverpool and found himself out of the team. And generally Riise never gets tight enough to the opposition winger, allowing too much room to cross, which is why Jol seems to prefer Richardson for the long-term.

[FFCSteve]

Agree we back off too much when under attack, I think you should always close a player down.
Also our ability to pass the ball properly seems to desert us in the second half! Cant believe how professional players take a swing at the ball, (even in space!) miss kick or hoof it straight back to the opposition, to put ourselves straight back under pressure. Our throw ins are usually crap aswell!

I think it could be age related!  092.gif

KEEP THE DAMN BALL!!

[CurryForMario]

I think the problem with our defence is that we sit too deep and invite pressure, yet if we pushed higher up the pitch our centre back are not the quickest and we could easily get caught out. It's certainly a tough one - which is why I think the solution is simply to buy faster/more tactically aware centre backs in the summer.

[Forever Fulham]

I've long believed our shape is  suspect on defense.  We don't send a pressure man  out to meet the dribbler.  The pressure man would force the offensive player to make an immediate decision.  If he decides to try to dribble around him, the cover man should be there to mop up.  If the ball carrier pulls up and goes sideways, well, that puts a momentary stop to the forward movement of the ball, buying more time for the defense to regroup.  This is elementary stuff.  Arsenal and Man U don't hesitate to confront the dribble as early as possible.  They are all about pressuring the offense early and often.  But FFC defenders back pedal at times when they should be drawing a line in the grass.   Diara didn't shy away from putting early pressure in the midfield.  But that's what you'd expect from a good holding mid. 

[MOR :]

We defend too deep...
For an opposition corner we leave nobody up for the quick break...
I'd also love Fulham players to shoot more instead of trying to pass the ball into the onion bag...

[DiegoFulham]

I would love to see more English/British talent in the side

[jarv]

I am going to disagree with many of you. Fulham, under Hodgson sat deep and did not dive in. The focus was on covering every opponent. A very hard team to beat (as they say). Jol went for a more attacking style and it cost the team dearly, regularly conceding 3 goals (or more) this season. Getting caught on the break was common.
Recently, results (and defending) has improved immensley and once again, a team hard to beat.

I think it is more that Fulham do not seem able to "hunt in packs" when it comes to breaking down attacks. A defender does not want a tricky fast guy running at him without a midfielder tracking back snapping at his heels. Too often we see that but what we do have (without Sidwell) is a midfield of skilled, attack minded players. Also, Fulham don't foul as much as others on the half way line (perception, I have nothing to back that up).

Everyone on here who has played in defence can testify to having 1, or even 2 players coming at you. I know I did, nightmare. The only option is to back off. Last comment, our back line are not really that good at tackling 090.gif. They play as a unit. That is their strength.
That's what I think anyway. 092.gif

[SmithyFFC]

I think this is a direct result of us lacking hugely in terms of pace at centre back. Senderos is on a par with Mertersacker and Carragher in terms of speed, and however great Brede is he isn't the quickest. Therefore we have to sit deep too compensate.

[Forever Fulham]

Senderos can blow past Mertesacker and Carragher.  He's more nimble than Mertesacker.  Way quicker.  And stronger.  Carragher has more talent than either, but he's way past his prime.  And was never fast.
Jarv, to your thoughtful comments, consider that the midfielder tracking back, snapping at the dribbler's heels, is the functional equivalent of a pressure man, with the defender then playing the role of cover man.  I agree with your premise that Roy had them deep, biding for the counter attack moment.  But the players helped each other out back then.  They were all singing from the same hymnal.  We lost--how many months this season--waiting for the players to become a unit.  I still don't think we have our holding mid yet.  Just pretenders to the role.

[mullers]

I agree with what jarv says. I do think that our set up is based around us being in front; how many times have we sucked teams in in the last 20 - 25 minutes and counteredin the PL and EL? Mention of Frei and Dejegah [and Kaka, Briggs] hints at the first choice team getting older. Jol does seem to be making changes in that respect, we just get caught out at the moment.

[King_Crud]

For an opposition corner we leave nobody up for the quick break...

this a major bugbear of mine. So many times we clear the corner straight to the opposition as we have no one outside the box, which just keeps the pressure on. I don't expect a counter attack goal but I would like someone outside the box to either get the ball and take the pressure off, or hassle the oppositioon early if they get the ball

[nose]

Hughes backed off and backed off against Rooney at the Cottage and was dropped, even though the goal came from Senderos' mistake. We haven't seen him since. Riise did the same in the 4-0 defeat at Liverpool and found himself out of the team. And generally Riise never gets tight enough to the opposition winger, allowing too much room to cross, which is why Jol seems to prefer Richardson for the long-term.

Actually if you watch the villa goal, after brede doesn't clear adequately richardson stands hypnotised and makes no effort to close the the goalscorer. Richardson's error is a dreadful lack of judgment, it is his principle job to stop forwards and he just lets the shot happen.

[Joe McDonald]

I for one I'm happy with the current style of defending, of staying on their feet and not diving in. 

I see it this way:  If a centre back dives in towards the half way line and doesn't win the ball, he leaves the striker clean through on the keeper.  By backing off and conceeding space, but staying between the ball and the goal, he is adding another dimension that the striker has to work out, come up with something clever in order to beat both the defender and the keeper. 

We don't conceed too many goals from defending in this manner, so I think it works.

[Forever Fulham]

Well, there's a difference between standing someone up, shutting them down,  and diving in. 

[jarv]

Frankly, I will be very happy, no matter how it is done, if Fulham stop those over priced prima donna twats scoring tomorrow.