We could all be very angry and depressed

[St Eve]

If W Ham had scored an equalizer. We got it all wrong at 2-1. They had 10 men and we needed to attack, attack, attack and get the 3rd or even more. Poor tactics from Rene and our new coaching team. So happy that we got the 3 points but nearly had a heart attack in the last 20 minutes.

[Lighthouse]

I think the best thing is not to analyse the win too match. Second half with the rain and wind in our favour plaus against ten men. Yeah we should have won easily. But for the odd woodwork and Bent we may have done. However Tarabat being hurt and going off and then having no pace up front meant we were in a bit of trouble from then on.

A win is a win so best not think of more than that.

[Sgt Fulham]

At first I was annoyed at the performance, but then I remembered the times where we have deserved 3 points and got none. This partially makes up for that despite our average performance today. Hopefully that was just getting back on track and we will smash Sunderland.

[Brede Butter Pudding]

At first I was annoyed at the performance, but then I remembered the times where we have deserved 3 points and got none. This partially makes up for that despite our average performance today. Hopefully that was just getting back on track and we will smash Sunderland.

Am I the only one who thinks we played well today and absolutely deserved to win the match? We battered West Ham. From my memory they had two chances at most, including the goal. We hit the post, missed some very good chances (Taarabt hitting the post in the first half and missing a good chance in the second half, Duff blazing over, header off the line from a corner, Bent missing when through on goal, and the Riise free kick that was charged down). The conditions today also contributed - it wasn't particularly easy to play good football when the pitch was heavy and the wind so strong.

I agree we should have tried to score a third, particularly considering our dire goal difference, but all of Rene's subs, in my opinion, were positive, attacking ones (Bent, Kasami and Kaca are all attacking players). A number of times this season we have deserved the points but come away with 1, or nothing. I thought today we fully deserved the three points, completely outplaying a terrible West Ham outfit. Obviously having 10 men for most of the game helped, but West Ham's 32% possession suggests to me that we did everything right, other than convert our chances.

I too felt nervous for the last 15 minutes, but then I always do when we are leading by a single goal. It is something seen so often in football matches that the trailing team throws everything at the opposition for the last ten minutes when they have nothing else to lose. I agree, it would have been nice to have done more to seal the points earlier, but I really can't fault Rene or the players at all. We fully deserved the three points and thoroughly outplayed a poor West Ham side.

[PokerMatt]

At first I was annoyed at the performance, but then I remembered the times where we have deserved 3 points and got none. This partially makes up for that despite our average performance today. Hopefully that was just getting back on track and we will smash Sunderland.

Am I the only one who thinks we played well today and absolutely deserved to win the match? We battered West Ham. From my memory they had two chances at most, including the goal. We hit the post, missed some very good chances (Taarabt hitting the post in the first half and missing a good chance in the second half, Duff blazing over, header off the line from a corner, Bent missing when through on goal, and the Riise free kick that was charged down). The conditions today also contributed - it wasn't particularly easy to play good football when the pitch was heavy and the wind so strong.

I agree we should have tried to score a third, particularly considering our dire goal difference, but all of Rene's subs, in my opinion, were positive, attacking ones (Bent, Kasami and Kaca are all attacking players). A number of times this season we have deserved the points but come away with 1, or nothing. I thought today we fully deserved the three points, completely outplaying a terrible West Ham outfit. Obviously having 10 men for most of the game helped, but West Ham's 32% possession suggests to me that we did everything right, other than convert our chances.

I too felt nervous for the last 15 minutes, but then I always do when we are leading by a single goal. It is something seen so often in football matches that the trailing team throws everything at the opposition for the last ten minutes when they have nothing else to lose. I agree, it would have been nice to have done more to seal the points earlier, but I really can't fault Rene or the players at all. We fully deserved the three points and thoroughly outplayed a poor West Ham side.

I do too. We battered them. Win for us was the only fair result.

[Count Berbatov]

I think the result was fair. But you surely must see that you aren't playing well and the performance since and including Hull has gotten worse

[Brede Butter Pudding]

I think the result was fair. But you surely must see that you aren't playing well and the performance since and including Hull has gotten worse

Completely disagree. Hull was terrible, but it was a capitulation in the second half rather than an entirely poor performance (which isn't necessarily less worrying, but I don't think it's a fair reflection of our overall recent form).

The Norwich win was superb and, again, deserved in my opinion. We played well against City, but a loss was pretty inevitable considering the players at their disposal and their form.

Today I felt we played well. We conceded a sloppy goal in atrocious conditions, but other than that they had only one or two other chances, with Stockdale making a crucial save in the first half. On the other hand, had our finishing been more clinical we could have scored 5 or 6. With confidence our finishing will improve, and wins breed confidence. I thought that today we played well and deserved the win, and our performances are improving. This result was particularly impressive considering the potential loss of confidence incurred by the mauling at Hull.

[Deanothefulhamfan]

I can see both points to this debate.... Fantastic win, but we could have made it easier.

We played well, and created lots of chances for 75 minutes. But our substitutions were strange, and we really invited them onto us. If they had scored which they almost did, then we would have been furious. I think Rene is continually learning and things can only get better.

[JBH]

If W Ham had scored an equalizer. We got it all wrong at 2-1. They had 10 men and we needed to attack, attack, attack and get the 3rd or even more. Poor tactics from Rene and our new coaching team. So happy that we got the 3 points but nearly had a heart attack in the last 20 minutes.

Sorry I know you are entitled to your opinion but I strongly disagree, the conditions were atrocious and the players gave their all today, yes the last few minutes were nervy but losing can be come a habit so nerves do kick in when you are desparate not to conceed an equaliser, as for your comments on Rene's tactics, I find it unbelievable that anyone can knock the man that has already gained us nearly as many points as Jol in under half as many games this season!

COYW

[MJG]

The players were as nervous as us, and you could see they did not want to lose the ball or push forward much.
They were defending that lead not really by plan but just that they were scared of making mistakes.
I sit pretty much halfway between the Putney end and halfway line, and you could see they did not want to get forward, hence all the passing around at the back.

[RaySmith]

It's a dilemma - if we'd committed ourselves to attack and been hit on the break,as have have been so often, eg against Man C, everyone would have been complaining.

I also think Rene took  Taraabt off because he was carrying a knock.

Bent was the striker on the  bench, who has scored a couple of important goals for us, though lacking confidence and match fitness.

Re the chance he missed - he did well get to get onto that through ball and create the chance for himself, which wasn't as easy as it appeared.

[NorfolkJim]

Considering the result and performance at Hull I think we did very well with a side that is feeling fragile. To come back from a goal down even allowing for 10 men can only help to lift damaged confidence in the team. A lot of this level is mental attitude - just 1 more win last year and we would be much higher up the table and people would not be so worried - The key thing now in results terms is to capitalise on this by getting a win against Sunderland. Its a massive match now - win and we will look much better table wise and Sunderland will be in the mire - Lose and we will be right back in the you know what. We need to look forward tothe Sunderland game and also do something with our shakey defence.

[Holders]

We had the huge majority of the play and chances. The conditions did not halp at all, even in the second half with the weather at our backs and a man advantage passing was difficult to judge on such a sodden pitch. That's why he brought Bent on, to try and take advantage of a route 1 chance - which he should have done.

All credit to WHU, though, they never gave up or let us have it easy despite all that was stacked against them.

[Peabody]

If W Ham had scored an equalizer. We got it all wrong at 2-1. They had 10 men and we needed to attack, attack, attack and get the 3rd or even more. Poor tactics from Rene and our new coaching team. So happy that we got the 3 points but nearly had a heart attack in the last 20 minutes.

But they didn't and we aren't

[Jack Fulham]

The only tactical mistake was bringing on Darren Bent as we lost our shape immediately. Having said that, if Darren Bent had scored, it would of been game over. Its a shame as he could of brought on Mousa Dembele instead. Kacaniklic was pretty ineffective when he came on as well.

[epsomraver]

We are on -21 goal difference, last night we had a very good chance to get some goals against a poor ten man team, instead we backed off started to flaff around, very few shots on a greasy pitch with swirling wind, I was looking to see if Jol was back in the dug out! The whole game we lacked the width that Renee had introduced to the game, why "Mick " and kasami on the bench a mystery We seemed to have gone backwards last night  every thing coming through the middle again, hope this not the shape of things to come or other influences taking over.

[epsomraver]

If W Ham had scored an equalizer. We got it all wrong at 2-1. They had 10 men and we needed to attack, attack, attack and get the 3rd or even more. Poor tactics from Rene and our new coaching team. So happy that we got the 3 points but nearly had a heart attack in  the last 20 minutes.

:plus one:

[Bedford White]

Overall a good Fulham performance, we bossed much of the game and limited West Ham's attacking options. They got the first goal but didn't look like they'd keep their lead. We always threatened and looked solid going forward and we worked hard to equalise and take the lead.

For sure we all wanted that third goal and Bent should have delivered, but he had only just come off the bench.

Our defence is so fragile I was afraid they'd steal a draw but we held on for the result.

As for feeling "very angry and depressed" that was Boxing Day, hopefully this new year brings a new and improved Fulham.

[Burt]

Lighten up folks, we won the game, and we played quite well.

I agree that it was a nailbiting 10 minutes at the end, and I was as mystified as the next person as to why we didn't press forward and how the hell the game wasn't out of sight by then.

But the result was the important thing, as will be the one against Sunderland.

Aside from the hammering at the KC, it's a case of "so far, so good"...

[rusty shackleford]

We are on -21 goal difference, last night we had a very good chance to get some goals against a poor ten man team, instead we backed off started to flaff around, very few shots on a greasy pitch with swirling wind, I was looking to see if Jol was back in the dug out! The whole game we lacked the width that Renee had introduced to the game, why "Mick " and kasami on the bench a mystery We seemed to have gone backwards last night  every thing coming through the middle again, hope this not the shape of things to come or other influences taking over.

In fairness, we had 30 shots (11 on target) and 12 corners. Hit the post and had one cleared off the line. It wasnt through lack of trying that we didnt score again. if we had scored in the first 5 after the break, it would probably have ended up 3/4-1