Post Game Thoughts

[Ordar]

First half I thought we were very good. Far more balanced than we have been in some time. Looked fairly dangerous on the counter and solid at the back. Second half we gifted them a goal and didn't have a plan B.

Kacaniklic is useless. He offers nothing. Been useless all season. Shouldn't be in the starting line up. He's 21 and can't do the most basic of things.
Kasami played well when in the hole, but not so well when wide.
Taarabt came on and did nothing but lose the ball.
Amorebieta (sans the penalty that should have been) was great.
Stockdale played fairly well, but gifted the opening goal to them.
Parker and Sidwell both played very well. It's still debatable if both should be in the same side though.
Reither hasn't got forward at all this season. Does he not trust whoever is playing ahead of him?
Richardson had a very good game, with next to no support ahead of him.
Bent had a good first half but obviously missed the key chance. Was totally isolated second half, and got no service.

Positives were the first half performance. Thought the tactics and play was spot on. A few good performances for Amorebieta, Kasami, Richardson and Sidwell in particular.
Defending corners seems to be becoming an issue.

[Berbasilk_111]

I have never seen kaca cross a ball all season

[ScalleysDad]

A winger who can't cross is a substitute.
He is not quite cutting it is he but with Dejagah seemingly out of favour big time we really have no options if we want any pace. Mesca possibly next week.

[SuffolkWhite]

Shock horror we lose to Chelsea away, I would have said 5pts at this point tin the season with the games we have played, the next 5 games will tell how we are doing as the there should be points for the taking.

Just my thoughts for it's worth.

[jarv]

Suffolkwhite, sort of agree with you. I looked atthe first 6 games and thought anything less than 9 points is a bad start. 4 out of 6 were winnable. However, if Fulham cannot beat west brom and newcastle, who can they beat?
Chelsea was a guaranteed loss so not too upset about today.
As long as Jol is employed, relegation battle is on. I dread to look at the next 5 games. Maybe we woill get 10 points or maybe 079.gif

[Jimpav]

Shock horror we lose to Chelsea away, I would have said 5pts at this point tin the season with the games we have played, the next 5 games will tell how we are doing as the there should be points for the taking.

Just my thoughts for it's worth.
[/quote

It's the performance (or lack of it) that is concerning - not the defeat. Chelsea were very average today but still forced a huge number of corners.

Even going 1-0 down we could have still stayed in the game. We have always given them a good match at Stamford Bridge but today we were toothless after the first half.

[God The Mechanic]

Chelsea only forced a large number of corners cos their delivery was abysmal.  They had 3 or 4 instances where they had 2/3 corners in succession cos they didn't beat the first man.

[Jimpav]

Chelsea only forced a large number of corners cos their delivery was abysmal.  They had 3 or 4 instances where they had 2/3 corners in succession cos they didn't beat the first man.

Don't get me wrong, Chelsea were poor too. The issue I have is that we should not be conceding that amount of corners if we can't defend them.

We have conceded more corners than any other team in the league and have now conceded from a corner in nearly every match this season.

[Deanothefulhamfan]

Chelsea were awful, and my views on them have changed for them winning the league....

Great first half, best performance this season, second half was back to the usual dire performances we are used to seeing.

Positives

Duff had a great 45 mins, but then faded.
Stockdale made two howlers to give them a goal, but played well apart from this
Parker was our best player yet again

Negatives
Taarabt - AWFUL, didnt do one positive thing
Bent - Missed an easy chance, gave away the ball too often. Did nothing second half
Kaca - Should have been subbed before duff, poor game.

Not all doom and gloom, we gave a great performance for 45 mins, more of that and we will be ok

[Fulhampete]

Low on confidence, things not going your way, who would you want to be playing to get some cheap points? Yes Fulham. This sure applies to Chelsea, Newcastle and W.B.A.

[Al]

Very good summary that ordar. As someone who does not want to see us get rid of another manager and really wants some long term stability at the club, I would see the positives for what they are. It is just a shame that where we thought we had some quality last season, ie, on the wings, the same players have not performed this year. Imagine kaka and Dejagah running at them today, could have been a different game. There are signs of some progress, albeit in bit sized pieces, let's hope they continue over the next 4 games.

COYW

[Denver Fulham]

No one should be killing Jol in the "micro" for today. The first half was probably the best and most composed we have looked all season. Starting Duff worked out. Then he made two fairly logical subs, although I think we needed Boateng or Karagounis on, too. I thought our first-choice back four looked really good for the most part. Even Richardson, but maybe that's just because he's clearly the best of terrible options.

It's the "macro" that continues to be concerning.

1) We're old and/or not fit enough and die in the second half of matches. When the final 30 minutes every week become an 11 v 11 drill in our half, regardless of opposition or location of the match, it's a major, major issue.

2) We have a total of three or four shots on goal in our three away matches. Two of those matches were against two of the other bad form teams, and Chelsea today wasn't all that good, either.

3) We have zero useful pace anywhere in the midfield to help. With Dejagah mysteriously buried, Riether is a shell of the attacking form he showed last season.

4) Parker was very good today, but he's not a creative passer. He's a play settler. Sidwell remains totally redundant with him. Pray Diarra makes it to full health, I guess.

5) Anyone who thinks Stockdale is better than Stekelenburg is nuts. One of Stockdale's series of modest errors this season finally cost us today. He's not a bad keeper, but he's No. 2 for a reason.

Losing at Chelsea without Berba, Ruiz, Dejagah, Stekelenburg, etc. isn't a disgrace in a vacuum, but the deepening level of our obvious issues -- ones that may not have a fix -- are very troubling. There's also an air of "throwaway games" developing. Oh, it was at Chelsea, so we shouldn't get anything (even with draws the last three seasons there). Oh, it's Arsenal at home, what do you expect? Oh, it's long trips to the Northeast. By the time we get to games we don't have an excuse for, there won't be enough points left to win.

Crisis can be averted, for now, by beating two really beatable teams at home in the next two league matches. I'm going to cling to the good things our back four showed, hope Berba and Ruiz get back healthy, Taarabt gets fully fit, Stekelenburg comes back soon, and we start playing closer to our on-paper potential. There's no reason for the team to be this bad against the schedule we've played.

[Count Berbatov]

I have the game recorded. Was going to stay away from the Web but gave in.
So if I got it right, good 45 min. Bent missed a sitter. Worse second 45. Kaca useless, taarabt useless. Defense can't defend corners. Parker-Sidwell seems to work.


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[MJG]

kaca has been turned from a promising left winger into some kind of inside forward type. Last season he hugged the touchline, this year he's forever inside.

[filham]

We were totally outplayed. OK, no one seriously expected to win at the Bridge but the manner in which we lost is worrying, we hardly got into their penalty area in the second half.
Kaca has had a spell in the team and has failed to deliver, as he did early last season, Bent never showed any strength and missed a sitter so we have problems up front.

Jol must go back to the drawing board and field a different team with a new game plan for the next three matches, he has the players but where is the team.

[Ordar]

I have to say, people were saying we shouldn't be buying wide players in the summer, but I think we have a problem out wide, especially on the left

[God The Mechanic]

I have to say, people were saying we shouldn't be buying wide players in the summer, but I think we have a problem out wide, especially on the left

There was way too much hope placed on Kaca imo.  He's ok... not much more than that.  When he's bad he's effectively invisible.

[Count Berbatov]

We were totally outplayed. OK, no one seriously expected to win at the Bridge but the manner in which we lost is worrying, we hardly got into their penalty area in the second half.
Kaca has had a spell in the team and has failed to deliver, as he did early last season, Bent never showed any strength and missed a sitter so we have problems up front.

Jol must go back to the drawing board and field a different team with a new game plan for the next three matches, he has the players but where is the team.

Play last year's team?

[Pluto]

The main issue was that we went 1-0 down then inexplicably put 11 men behind the ball and didn't have a single attack from then on.....as if we were trying to defend the loss and zero points. Truly shocking and demoralising to watch.

In terms of individual performances the back four did well. Richardson could've done better for the first goal though that was mostly stockdale's fault. Amorebieta looked decent except for nearly conceding a pen. Duff was good for the first half then tired, Kaca and taraabt both useless, Sidwell tidy enough though should've done better with two headers, Parker our best player but neither of the central midfield pair offered much going forward. I would've liked to see Karagouns, or better yet, to have signed Huddlestone who looked excellent once again for Hull today.

Bent anonymous except for missing a great chance. Mesca keen to impress but ineffective and Kasami looked good until he was moved out wide, at which point he looked so out of position that he may as well not have been on the pitch.

[EJL]

Kaca-bashing is in.