Optimistic?

[nose]

I remain 100% so. Today was a disaster but consider this.

Hull had two home games in 48 hours, could settle themselves between games patch up the squad, rest in the comfort of their homes with thier nearest and dearest...
we had to go to norwich and with only one day between up to hull meaning we were unsettled, no time for proper recuperation, away in a duff place.... a disaster in the making for an aging squad.

rene made a couple of errors in my opinion and got rather unlucky in the manner of the goals.

the errors were to make quite so many changes, and to use ruiz who was absolutely anonymous when you need prescence, and rodders, poor thing, totally hopeless, didn't know enough to drop back a bit and try and join in. sidwell, showed he is not really up to it despite his effort and passion... djagah only fires on half power when rheiter doesn't play and kasami showed a lack of maturity.

i think rene will leaqrn loads from that, he should have removed ruiz and rodders at half time, he should have tried to limit the number of changes.

BUT i have 100% faith in him, I do think the fixtures were absolutely unreasonable to us...even when we play west ham, they have had two games in london and now a third, hardly taxing, we have been all over the place.  we were poor, get it out the system, three points from the two away games is better than two draws so that was good.

and we have clint joining and despite my criticism he  is still a good injection of experience and a known quantity).

and for anybody that really knows how negative i can and have been i am currently very dispondent about today's poor result and performance but remain 100% certain we will bounce back like a viper striking at its hapless prey!

Stockers was the bright spot, what a great performance, maybe he could have been a bit better with the 6th, but by then the team was looking like it just wanted to go home.

Keep the faith, trust me it'll be alright.

[K33NY]

i agree with you!! would like to "save" this post to end of season so you could have a, "I told you so" for those who think we will go down ;)

[nose]

Good idea....  you know i really believe if rene stays and we get the results  we derserve in the second half if the season and i supose if we get a couple of good signings then we will do really well next season.

[terryr]

Rene was humbled today. Stark reality check.
He will now proceed carefully and not think he has it all sorted.
No silly selections and I doubt we will EVER see that team on the pitch again.....

[Lighthouse]

The second half was a clear reality check and if anything emphasises how good Rene has been since Jol left.

Facts often need repeating.

We had a manager who didn't know how to use the squad to go forward. We had a chairman who wanted to sell the club and so we had no investement in the team. We now have a new manager who has made us a better side to watch. But we still have a squad that has had no investment. Trying to use the poor squad to rest players was always a big gamble.

All today has proved is the club need to invest in January. Big shock. Problem we have is it is probably too late. Rene has learned that some of his players in the squad are not good enough. Rene has done the best he can and will continue to do so. Something Jol and a few of the players we still have find it hard to do.

[Cravenawin]

I remain 100% so. Today was a disaster but consider this.

Hull had two home games in 48 hours, could settle themselves between games patch up the squad, rest in the comfort of their homes with thier nearest and dearest...
we had to go to norwich and with only one day between up to hull meaning we were unsettled, no time for proper recuperation, away in a duff place.... a disaster in the making for an aging squad.

rene made a couple of errors in my opinion and got rather unlucky in the manner of the goals.

the errors were to make quite so many changes, and to use ruiz who was absolutely anonymous when you need prescence, and rodders, poor thing, totally hopeless, didn't know enough to drop back a bit and try and join in. sidwell, showed he is not really up to it despite his effort and passion... djagah only fires on half power when rheiter doesn't play and kasami showed a lack of maturity.

i think rene will leaqrn loads from that, he should have removed ruiz and rodders at half time, he should have tried to limit the number of changes.

BUT i have 100% faith in him, I do think the fixtures were absolutely unreasonable to us...even when we play west ham, they have had two games in london and now a third, hardly taxing, we have been all over the place.  we were poor, get it out the system, three points from the two away games is better than two draws so that was good.

and we have clint joining and despite my criticism he  is still a good injection of experience and a known quantity).

and for anybody that really knows how negative i can and have been i am currently very dispondent about today's poor result and performance but remain 100% certain we will bounce back like a viper striking at its hapless prey!

Stockers was the bright spot, what a great performance, maybe he could have been a bit better with the 6th, but by then the team was looking like it just wanted to go home.

Keep the faith, trust me it'll be alright.

Totally agree about the travelling involved. Poor fixture planning by the FA. How is it fair that ten teams have the comfort of two home games in three days and the other ten have to travel. Should be one home and one away for every team. Our two games have involved about an 700 mile round trip with next to no time for recovery.

[Wingnut]

Was there myself and it was a shock and a half. Even at 0-0, Hull were in complete control. We were blessed to go in level at half time. I think Rene will learn an awful lot from that game. Hull are a well organised side, who have a good physical feel to them. Ruiz should not have started against them. He looked scared to tackle the Hull players. Had we not had a game 48 hours earlier, I am near 100% confident that Ruiz would not have played.

We need to draw a line under this result. Focus on West Ham, who are struggling big time, and Sunderland at home. If we take 6 points from those games, which we most definitely can, we will be out of the bottom three.

[Count Berbatov]

I am optimistic, because this came early enough in the season, for the players and Rene to react. And also, because the best players weren't available. Just 4 first choice started this one. The age and traveling didn't help. Agreed. Rene was at fault for the rest. And that's alright. Just no more complacency I hope

[beijing ben]

I was going to post somethimg similar last night about the fixtures but then checked the other teams and we definitely didnt have the worst situation (Sunderland did incredibly well). I can understand why Rene made the changes but it showed how much we miss Parker and, as much as i really want Ruiz to be good enough, he isn't. I still have hope for Rodders tho, but he was really poor yesterday. Must beat West Ham...

[RaySmith]

I  don't think the traveling was an excuse for that level of performance, and other teams were in the same boat - but agree the game was a reality check, and showed how much we depend upon the likes of Parker, Berba, Taraabt, Riether.

For me Rodders is like Ruiz - I have longed hoped he will fulfill his potential, but, unlike Ruiz sometimes at least, I've never seen him play well in a Prem game and now feel like he never will do it for us.

I hope I'm wrong but it is a gamble , which can be very costly to play these players. Though, it's unfair to put all the blame on yesterday on them, of course.

[RaySmith]

I am still optimistic though, that Rene will continue to have a positive effect on the team's performances.

Manager, players and fans need to draw a line under yesterday, draw the lessons, then look to the next crucial home games.

I'm sure Rene has learned a lot, and the players will also be very keen to show that yesterday was a blip.

[bobbo]

Almost totally agree with yer mate but not on stockdale , and reading your post has already made me feel a little more positive this morning----Bobbo

[WayneKerrins]

Decent post. Disagree on Stockdale, at fault for 2 and if you count the last (which is harsh as there was a slight deflection) 3 of the goals.

[miseryguts]

  I too remain optimistic despite yesterday's disaster.  The main factors that contributed to it were I believe two away fixtures in three days (why are not all the Prem teams playing today rather than yesterday?) was too much for our quality and age of squad.  I understand that Rene felt he had to rotate with the heavy fixture schedule but we do not have the quality in depth or legs to do this.

However, this will at least show Rene what he is up against if he didn't know already.  He has been dealt a pretty dreadful hand but has made an incredible start in trying to turn things round.  It's essential to strengthen the defence which is a liability even in the good performances and could derail our survival if not sorted. Must get another CB and LB as a priority. I remember the 1971-2 season under Bill Dodgin when we had a great attacking side in the old Div 2 but a terrible defence.  We would dominate games but the opposition would score 2 goals from 2 attacks and draw or win.  We nearly went back down but were saved (just) with the arrival of Alan Mullery and Peter Mellor.

Finally Ruiz - that will/must surely be his last game for us.  I agree with most of the other posts.  He is just not strong or quick enough for the PL.  Talent alone is no good without application.

This game seemed like a return to the dark days of Jol (surely our worst PL manager, and that includes Sanchez) but I think lessons will be learned by all at Fulham and surely convince the owner that we must strengthen in the window.

[nose]

I  don't think the traveling was an excuse for that level of performance, and other teams were in the same boat - but agree the game was a reality check, and showed how much we depend upon the likes of Parker, Berba, Taraabt, Riether.

For me Rodders is like Ruiz - I have longed hoped he will fulfill his potential, but, unlike Ruiz sometimes at least, I've never seen him play well in a Prem game and now feel like he never will do it for us.

I hope I'm wrong but it is a gamble , which can be very costly to play these players. Though, it's unfair to put all the blame on yesterday on them, of course.

it wasn't meant that the travelling was an excuse as such, rather that it was a factor and in a congested period was one that went against us.

consider this, if we had have played at home V Hull i suspect we would have got all three points, not just because it was a home game but because they would have had to make the long trek 48 hours after their last game. It is not the whole reason we lost but certainly part of it.

Getting thumped is also a wake up call when things seem to be going well, it reminds you not to get complacent.

[Fulham1959]

Well said, Nose, especially your opening post.

The 'reality check for Rene' is, I think, the crucial aspect and has come at the right time.

On a positive note, at half time we were nailed-on to be last on MOTD.  Thanks to our second half performance, we were first !!!!