So how long

[filham]

It doesn't matter how well a team plays ,if they are not scoring goals at home they are heading in only one direction.

We lost our two top scorers in the summer , replacements were essential so who was responsible for those 14 summer signings without a goal scorer among them and did not Stats Boy point out that the crop of new signings were missing:-

1. A goalscorer
2. A target man
3. A penalty taker
4. A player that could take a decent corner kick.

Jozabeds got a great corner on him, As for penalties Martin has a great penalty record, As for a target man Martin has always been a target man, as for a goalscorer Martin has a great scoring record.

So we did address all of these 4 categories
What were missing however is a quick striker

Well they all went missing today, the problem with stats. is that they reflect history and not the present. Someone on this board suggested that Martin is an out of form player and has not scored for a long time.

[Mince n Tatties]

The point you are all missing is he picks the side OK.
He put Martin up front as the lone striker, why....because he obviously thinks that Martin will get us goals.
So what happens we get a pen and the striker doesn't take it, Slava should have been shouting from the side get Chris to take it.
I bet if yes if he had scored it confidence would have gone up and might have scored another.

[res]

Stepped back to take some reflection time over what went down.  At first I thought, are the End Times here?  Two missed PKs in one game.  Are cats and dogs now sleeping together?  Has there been a sighting of plagues of locusts, frogs, or fires?  But I don't believe in that stuff.  Just as I can't start thinking Slava is a bad manager.  You could have any manager you want instead of him for today's game--would it have guaranteed a different result in the PKs?  No. 

Let's look at the positives, and there are positives.  Possession.  Decent scoring chances.  Should have been 5 or 6 to 1.   If we had scored that early PK opportunity, the game would have changed.  We would have still attacked, but would have done more to shut the back door. 

For years, this club couldn't muster decent scoring opportunities.  Remember how hard it used to be to get into the final third and create something, anything?  We're creating those opportunities this season.  That's a major difference.   We're just not converting our opportunities.   Sometimes, things just snowball down the hill in a game.  I'm not suggesting things are right and rosy and this was only a one off day, not to be repeated.  Finishers finish.  That's what they must do.  If they don't, you wish them well and send them on their way.  Their job is to score.  But they rarely show consistency throughout a season.  They have dry spells, hot hand spells.  You can kind of tell when a forward finds  his 'rhythm'.   

I can't remember ever watching a pro team miss two PKs in a single game, can you?  Sure, we've all seen plenty of individual games where the ball missed going in by inches a multiple number of times.   All we needed was one of them to go in, and the mentality, the lift, would have changed the players' spirits, restored confidences, and we would have destroyed QPR today. 

I'm still upset.  But my long view isn't as pessimistic.  We're creating chances.  Opportunities.  Our defense is stiffening.  I trust Slava to handle the post mortem with the players in an effective way, with an eye towards better results in the future.  Missing PKs is more mental than physical.  You're shooting fish in a barrel.   Those PK opportunities were earned.  Next time, they all go in.

Lots of examples of teams missing 2 penalties in one game. I recall Aston Villa missing 2 against us at the Cottage a few years back (Edwin saved both) and for good measure Andy Cole missed one for us (shot wide). 

[filham]

We all know it is a results business and the hard facts are that Jocanovic didn't get satisfactory results last  season and now after thirteen or fourteen new summer signings (which must be a record for us) and eleven matches gone things are not looking at all good. We are fifteenth in the table as compared to twelth when Kit was sacked for underperforming.

However, we really can't afford yet another managerial change, we have to give Jocanovic our full support and hope for improvement but if we drop into the relegation zone by Christmas then perhaps a rethink will be needed

[Artful Dodger]

The managers job is to set the team up to create chances and hopefully score goals. In fairness to SJ the team he put out there did exactly that and at some point, the players have to take some responsibility. I know we don't have a Ross McCormack now but we have professional footballers who (should) have the ability to take a penalty or have the composure to take a chance or two. On another day we would have won by 4 or 5. On Tuesday we had a perfectly good goal ruled out for offside and with a bit of luck we would have had 6 points instead of 1 and we would be in the playoff positions. If we weren't creating chances I would be worried but we are and soon enough, I think we will put a run of decent results together.

We don't need another change of manager and just need to stay positive as we can't get another striker in until January.

[Chesh]

No NO no NO NO, disagree completely with this post. We played well today, Its not Jokanovics fault we missed 2 penalties? Its not Jokanovics fault we missed 2 open goals? Its not Jokanovics fault we hit the bar in the 90+3rd minute. On another day we win that 5-2

Jokanovic has no say in who takes the penalties, either.

Sorry SJ must have the say who takes the penalties, if he doesn't who does. Can you imagine saying that about Alex Ferguson.

The players decide amongst themselves.

I totally disagree with the original post, and am still 100% behind Jokanovic.

However, I can't believe that it would not be a good idea to ascertain who should take the penalties BEFORE they leave the dressing-roon, even with senior player input.

Why Martin was not the designated penalty taker today I couldn't understand (and that was before Cairney missed). One, because he was a regular taker for Derby, and two to take the pressure off a desparate start to his Fulham career.

Anyway, Joka will turn it around.

[Dodger53]

Neither penalty was play in which we would have scored

[EastEndWhite]

The managers job is to set the team up to create chances and hopefully score goals. In fairness to SJ the team he put out there did exactly that and at some point, the players have to take some responsibility. I know we don't have a Ross McCormack now but we have professional footballers who (should) have the ability to take a penalty or have the composure to take a chance or two. On another day we would have won by 4 or 5. On Tuesday we had a perfectly good goal ruled out for offside and with a bit of luck we would have had 6 points instead of 1 and we would be in the playoff positions. If we weren't creating chances I would be worried but we are and soon enough, I think we will put a run of decent results together.

We don't need another change of manager and just need to stay positive as we can't get another striker in until January.

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[BedsFFC]

We've got a good manager & a young decent team with potential.

We're trying to play the right way and we are making lots of chances. For the first time in years, it feels right.

We've got a youngster who is in the team and is a real star and is one of our own.

All this bitterness towards Khan, Kline, Slav, Martin, 4-2-3-1 and anything that doesn't go right in a game does my head in. We're playing well.

Theres a lot more right than wrong now.....and it aint been like that for many a year

[JHaynes Paperboy]

Are we going to have to endure this idiot for?

Talks to much of a good game for me, but makes defeats harder to accept, especially when he sits there and confidently says 'We're Ready'.

Don't get me wrong, I like a manager with a bit of confidence, but he's become a bit to arrogant for me, and he's his tactical ability is starting to become very questionable.

Can't see why you take off the only player off who can hold up a ball and replace him with one that everything bounces off, and then replaces a midfielder who practically runs the show. As soon as this happened, we all knew the inevitable would happen - so, so predicable.

So, we got beaten at home again to a poor QPR side, missed 2 pens, had 12 corners, hit post/bar twice, had a shot cleared off the line, poor subs, poor tactical decisions, and the scoreline was as predictable as you could make it.

Who ever let Cairney step and take the first penalty and then Aluko the second, needs shooting as well.

Fully expect us to be in 17th place after all the other games today, and its going to be a long international break after that embarrassing and disgusting performance by what I calls as bottlers.

Steve Bruce please Mr Khan. 

Steve Bruce please!.
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[Southcoastffc]

Are we going to have to endure this idiot for?

Talks to much of a good game for me, but makes defeats harder to accept, especially when he sits there and confidently says 'We're Ready'.

Don't get me wrong, I like a manager with a bit of confidence, but he's become a bit to arrogant for me, and he's his tactical ability is starting to become very questionable.

Can't see why you take off the only player off who can hold up a ball and replace him with one that everything bounces off, and then replaces a midfielder who practically runs the show. As soon as this happened, we all knew the inevitable would happen - so, so predicable.

So, we got beaten at home again to a poor QPR side, missed 2 pens, had 12 corners, hit post/bar twice, had a shot cleared off the line, poor subs, poor tactical decisions, and the scoreline was as predictable as you could make it.

Who ever let Cairney step and take the first penalty and then Aluko the second, needs shooting as well.

Fully expect us to be in 17th place after all the other games today, and its going to be a long international break after that embarrassing and disgusting performance by what I calls as bottlers.

Steve Bruce please Mr Khan. 

Steve Bruce please!.
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I remember the days when paperboys used to be early.......  075.gif

[The Old Count]

20 x 20 vision with hindsight.  People are passionate about our club and sometimes say things on the spur of the moment that, with the benefit of hindsight, are incorrect.  Poor form to pillory them for it though.

[gezkc]

Why's this old post been dragged up?