Brave Fulham

[Nick Bateman]

Our brave Fulham players survived a bruising encounter with Blackbum to emerge victorious!  They had to endure the most crude challenges from a desperate group of Northerners trying anything to rattle our footballing dominance and it nearly worked.

One felt the referee was markedly lenient allowing the likes of Shane Duffy and Grant Hanley to launch themselves, uncontrollably at times, at our players with scant attention to the ball.  Hanley is built like a Darwen outhouse, with a physique more suited to being a prop forward in rugga than soccer; he has a triangular neck and jutting jawbones, so primitive features it looks as though he has not evolved from the Neanderthals.

But Fulham's resolve though tested was not found wanting and one or two even dished out some of the Lancastrian tactics to them, notably Jamie O'Hara's retribution on Adam Henley, which provoked "tough man" Duffy to bleat and moan to the official, his protests earning him a yellow card.

I was particularly proud of James Husband, carrying a 'war wound' from an early elbow for most of the match - he did not waver and deserved the applause when substituted.  

Symons also made a well timed intervention bringing on the lofty Dan Burn to cope with Blackbum's aerial supremacy; Burn looked better than Ream in my view.

And I was pleased that many Fulham fans got to see the blistering pace of new sensational signing Ryan Fredericks, the fastest man on the planet, allegedly!

But Fulham showed the Northerners that we are not the soft spoiled Southerners they consider us to be.  A well earned victory, my hat's off to the lads!
:wine:

[filham]

Yes., Blackburn did get rather physical but the sad news is that we must prepare ourselves for more of the same. Many managers will now be aware that Blackburn's second half tactics worked and could well have enabled them to reverse a two goal deficit.

[ToodlesMcToot]

Our players must learn to stick up for themselves and return like for like. Until they've shown that the tactic of fouling for the sake of "dumbing down" the game won't be tolerated and that we are just as willing to risk the injury of opposing players as soon as it begins, our opponents will use it.

Hopefully, we can begin sending an earlier message, when necessary, to the rest of the league and that nastiness will stop......or subside at least.

[Neil D]

But Fulham showed the Northerners that we are not the soft spoiled Southerners they consider us to be.  A well earned victory, my hat's off to the lads!
:wine:

I love a bit of anti-Northern prejudice as much as the next (Southern) fan but we were fielding a few of them ourselves (Husband - Leeds; Pringle - Newcastle; Tunnicliffe - Manchester; Lonergan - Preston). 

[WONKYTONKY]

I was going to write a post pretty similar to this today. Re-watched the game and the one thing that really stood out was how aggressive and violent their players were. It was like playing a rugby team. No wonder our footballers looked a bit shel shocked second half!

The one highlight that did really impress me was how strong and composed Dembelle was, even up against their biggest, most horrible lump of a centre back. It's hard to believe he's only 19.

Wasn't surprised when O'Hara lashed out. Glad he did really. Another poor game for a championship ref.

[Baszab]

Probably the crudest display of football from Blackburn that I have seen since Stoke in their prime - we did bloody well to win even if a bit lucky

KS was shaping up to be an unlucky manager -- hopefully this is a change in fortune

[Finnegans Wake]

Anyone else notice Hanley digging his fingers into O`Hara`s shoulder while pretending to calm him down after it kicked off? He did well to keep cool.

[ToodlesMcToot]

Anyone else notice Hanley digging his fingers into O`Hara`s shoulder while pretending to calm him down after it kicked off? He did well to keep cool.

I did. O'Hara got exactly who he was after. Think that helped him cool down a bit.

Anyone notice, Cairney, I believe, take a could and then look up at Blackburn manager and smile. Funny as hell.

[Blanco]

I thought both teams were as bad as eachother. Both were pretty physical. Not just Blackburn.

[Twig]

I thought both teams were as bad as eachother. Both were pretty physical. Not just Blackburn.

Sorry but I know we can be blinded by our natural pro Fulham prejudices but I just don't see this at all.

[HatterDon]

Probably the crudest display of football from Blackburn that I have seen since Stoke in their prime - we did bloody well to win even if a bit lucky

KS was shaping up to be an unlucky manager -- hopefully this is a change in fortune

I didn't think they were anything other than strongly physical -- something that's right in the middle of what the Championship is all about. I didn't think they were anywhere near the Stoke City Wrestling Club under Tony Pubis.

[Fulham1959]

Anyone else notice Hanley digging his fingers into O`Hara`s shoulder while pretending to calm him down after it kicked off? He did well to keep cool.

I did. O'Hara got exactly who he was after. Think that helped him cool down a bit.

Anyone notice, Cairney, I believe, take a could and then look up at Blackburn manager and smile. Funny as hell.

??

[Blanco]

Probably the crudest display of football from Blackburn that I have seen since Stoke in their prime - we did bloody well to win even if a bit lucky

KS was shaping up to be an unlucky manager -- hopefully this is a change in fortune

I didn't think they were anything other than strongly physical -- something that's right in the middle of what the Championship is all about. I didn't think they were anywhere near the Stoke City Wrestling Club under Tony Pubis.

Exactly. It's part of being a good championship side.

[ToodlesMcToot]

Anyone else notice Hanley digging his fingers into O`Hara`s shoulder while pretending to calm him down after it kicked off? He did well to keep cool.

I did. O'Hara got exactly who he was after. Think that helped him cool down a bit.

Anyone notice, Cairney, I believe, take a could and then look up at Blackburn manager and smile. Funny as hell.

??

Spell check. I tried typing "take a foul"

[epsomraver]

I thought both teams were as bad as eachother. Both were pretty physical. Not just Blackburn.

Obviously not there then?

[Blanco]

I thought both teams were as bad as eachother. Both were pretty physical. Not just Blackburn.

Obviously not there then?

No. What's your point? I watched it on Sky.

[Nick Bateman]

Agreed Mammoth.  It was an 'industrial' game, highly exciting and we won! 

[Bill2]

I thought both teams were as bad as eachother. Both were pretty physical. Not just Blackburn.

Obviously not there then?

No. What's your point? I watched it on Sky.

Have to say Blackburn kicked it off when they took out Cairney ,I think, in the first half. Don't know who it was but had no intention of going for the ball and went through him. To his credit he just got straight up and  carried on unlike the Blackburn players in the 2nd half who rolled around the pitch until they could see no cards were coming out then got right up and ran off