Was it that good a performance?

[Southcoastffc]

I wasn't at Saturday's game but watched the video yesterday.  We scored 4 really good goals and I thought Tunnicliffe's was sublime. But, I want to ask (especially of those who were at the game), did we REALLY play well?  Don't get me wrong, a 4 1 win is fabulous but while it seems silly to say apart from the goals (and a brief period between the 3rd and 4th when we knocked the ball around like Brazil at their best), there seemed to me to be long periods of time when the quality of the match was simply not very good.    I fully accept that we scored 4, picked up 3 points, beat what was in front of us etc etc but I don't think we played that well for very many minutes.  Am I completely wrong?

[MJG]

Now the problem with that question is that the way things are at the moment if I or some people say something negative, they will be told 'its a win why are you moaning?'

If you look at the average positions for saturday we were very deep, Bristol had a lot of the ball and territory as well. And for me we put in the ideal away performance. Breakaway goals, pressed them at times to make mistakes, and defended with our lives at times.

Is there room for improvement? Yes, and I'm glad they did not score early in the second half, but they did cause us problems as anyone who watches the game can see.

So a good away defensive breakaway performance.

[fulhamben]

Well personally I still think the second half against reading was better than the first against city.city could easily have had a few more goals. Which was down to pour finishing as opposed to good defending. Both good in their own rights but I still think we look better with a 442 providing we have the right players playing.

[snarks]

The team played as a solid 8/9 getting behind the ball, and inviting Bristol on to them, relying on counter attacking football. It was very effective. Bristol had 1 very good chance in the first half, and certainly another when they should have done better.

The 2 clear second half Bristol chances were of Fulhams own making (Husbands poor header, and Tunni holding the ball for to long).

Yes the team did play well, yes as MJG says they could have played better.

[f321ffc]

When the 3 extra minutes were announced I said to my mate can I stop worrying now, on the way back to the car we agreed that the score line was a bit flattering to us, but now after thinking on it and watching some of the first half again I think we did enough to warrant the score in fact we could have gone into the break 6 up, some of our passing and movement was great.

A second half with the game won we seemed to be happy just to contain them and conserve energy but had they been a bit sharper on our couple of unforced defensive errors it could have been very different.

Tomorrow night will be a good indicator to how our season will go, come on lads we have to win there sometime please make happen.COYW

[Sgt Fulham]

It was a very disciplined performance. Hit them quickly once we recieved the ball and were very clinical. At 4-0 we saw the game out nicely, which was all that was required (apart from the end) and ran out comfortable winners. A 3 goal margin win is very rarely a 'fluke'. Nice to see the difference from last year when we couldnt see out a game to save our lives.

[Burt]

Burnley will be a real test of our progress... They are flying high, and Turf Moor is a place we normally get nothing from. 

[Southcoastffc]

Thanks - and for not making me put on a tin hat.  I might well watch it again, my first viewing gave me the impression that our jewels during the game were surrounded by a lot of scrappiness (from both teams).  As I said - not complaining!  I'll hope for at least a draw v Burnley,

[Lighthouse]

No it wasn't that good a performance. Did we deserve to win by three goals? Yes we did. Did they put pressure on us? Well hell yes they were at home. Are we suddenly World Beaters? No, we are an average to good Championship side as we have been all season.

Do we really need to over think these things? No we don't. Happy to win easily and sad to lose. However the need to over analyse it will drive us mad.   

[Southcoastffc]

No it wasn't that good a performance. Did we deserve to win by three goals? Yes we did. Did they put pressure on us? Well hell yes they were at home. Are we suddenly World Beaters? No, we are an average to good Championship side as we have been all season.

Do we really need to over think these things? No we don't. Happy to win easily and sad to lose. However the need to over analyse it will drive us mad.   

Not trying to 'over-analyse' as you put it.  But as someone who saw it only via a screen, and therefore necessarily having only a limited view, asking the question you answer as "No it wasn't that good a performance." Thank you.

[Arthur]

Do we really need to over think these things? No we don't.  

Not content with telling the rest of us that we don't need to discuss the performance of our manager, now you're lecturing those who want to discuss the performance of the team. It really does beg the question as to what you imagine this forum should look like; nothing like the majority of us expect it to be, that's for sure.

I shall let you in on something: you're not the only one who thinks that some topics are pointless and unnecessary; we almost all do - just not the same ones! Even more to the point, we don't turn up on those threads reprimanding those who are interested.

Do you really need to open a thread if you don't like the topic? No, you don't.

[Fulham1959]

It was a very disciplined performance. Hit them quickly once we recieved the ball and were very clinical. At 4-0 we saw the game out nicely, which was all that was required (apart from the end) and ran out comfortable winners. A 3 goal margin win is very rarely a 'fluke'. Nice to see the difference from last year when we couldnt see out a game to save our lives.

That is the key thing !

[Carborundum]

Fair question, it's hard to be objective about the team we support.

On another thread a Bristol City fan suggested that Fulham were the best team he/she had seen at Ashton Gate.  That, combined with the scoreline, leads me to think we were rather good.

Bitter experience has taught me that the phrases "champagne football" and "twice in a row" aren't put together very often.  Lose tomorrow and it's five wins draws and losses.  Perfectly average.  Still, things are looking up and we might not lose tomorrow.

[Arthur]

I fully accept that we scored 4, picked up 3 points, beat what was in front of us etc etc but I don't think we played that well for very many minutes.  Am I completely wrong?

No, I don't think that you are.

We got off to a flying start with the early goal, but the second came against the run of play - our having been penned in our own half for long spells in between. From then to half-time, I thought we were excellent. What impressed me most of all was our desire for more goals after Ross had thumped us 3-0 ahead. Not only did we score a fourth within minutes, but we continued to press forward up to half-time, looking to add to our tally.

Was I surprised that the second-half was a flat, mundane affair? No. Does it matter? Maybe, in the bigger picture of a whole season, it actually matters more than might be readily apparent.

To my mind, teams with genuine promotion aspirations try to play their best football as often as they can. Tigana's Championship-winning team, for instance, would continue to attack even when the game was won. Bournemouth, last season, were the same: when they found themselves 4-0 up at Birmingham with half-an-hour left, they kicked on to score 8; when, at Blackpool, the home side pulled them back to 3-1 with 25 to play, Bournemouth ended up scoring 6. Is this, I wonder, one of the qualities that marks a team that has that bit more about it than its rivals?

I was pleased, therefore, to hear Kit, in a post-match interview, say something about wanting us to play to the highest standard for 90 minutes. In my opinion, were we to get into the habit of doing so, this can be nothing other than a good thing. I await to see how our manager, having identified the benefits of such an attitude, will endeavour to bring it to bear on future performances.

[Baszab]

Unbelievable

[epsomraver]

Unbelievable

:plus one:

[MJG]

Go on then what's unbelievable?

[epsomraver]

That after scoring 4 goals away people still looking to find fault, we really are lumbered with a lot of glory hunters these days or a lot of moaners and that is definitely born out by going to games and listening to those around who even slag off a player who is not even out on the pitch

[MJG]

I refer you to my first post on this thread.

There is no reason tho to not examine a game and look to see what went wrong and right and where improvements can be made,  even with the win on Saturday.

[Peabody]

The problem is that too many are only looking at bad things. OK, there has been bad times but when we do have a good result why can't we concentrate on the good, for a change.