So the overall verdict about today is?

[davew]

 075.gif but cannot read all the postings since our "expected" defeat today by us Fulhamish long term supporters!! We are having so many post mortems lately about just about everything, my latest is why didn't the Mrs buy me sufficient tonic to go with the gin knowing that I would be in a pretty bad mood having said before the game that I expected we would lose today!

Anything I post now has probably been covered many times today e.g. the Chris Martin effect, lack of transfer activity etc. etc., poor referee, not enough character/strength in our team etc. etc. and loads more of observations. The only contribution I would make is that if we/SJ knows we are playing a team that will try and bully us, why didn't we play Malone and Ayite rather than Piazon and Sess from the start?

[Lighthouse]

Ayite missed an open goal, not for the first time. We were put under pressure by simple punts up in the air, not for the first time. You never have enough tonic in when you need it, not for the first time. Sess was beaten far too early when he was defending, not for the first time, I am going to mention the problems coming up in the Summer,not for the first time. I am annoyed that subtitles on films are too often unreadable because of white writing on a light background, not for the first time.

[RaySmith]

I haven't even seen the game, but from GJ's commentary - we were outplayed in the first half, but hung in there, and were   much better in the second and on top until  Frederick's dismissal, and  still created a good opportunity in the dying stages.

This was always a potential banana skin for me - a game when everyone is forecasting an easy Fulham win  against a team on a losing run always is- Fulhamish, if you like.

But, I'm depressed, and finding it hard to  mentally bounce back, after so many  missed opportunities - the table doesn't lie, as someone said.

[AlexW132]

I haven't even seen the game, but from GJ's commentary - we were outplayed in the first half, but hung in there, and were   much better in the second and on top until  Frederick's dismissal, and  still created a good opportunity in the dying stages.

This was always a potential banana skin for me - a game when everyone is forecasting an easy Fulham win  against a team on a losing run always is- Fulhamish, if you like.

But, I'm depressed, and finding it hard to  mentally bounce back, after so many  missed opportunities - the table doesn't lie, as someone said.

We weren't forecasting an easy win - we had a whole thread saying we're going to bottle it

[Funky Fulham Dave]

We certainly weren't outplayed but this was most certainly the least inspiring performance for some time and we got what we deserved, which was nothing.

At no time during the game did we get our movement and passing game going which was mainly due to Birmingham doing what most sides do when they come up against us.

But whereas teams such as Queens Park Rangers blatantly foul at every opportunity, Birmingham was just a little cuter in breaking up any movement of our play.

I guess we expect more from a Franco Zola team whose football standards are certainly not representative of this poor Birmingham team who done the normal bog-standard closing down routine interspersed with long balls which continually frustrated us and which we had no answer too.

But they did have the best player on the day - Cheicka Keita – who laid on the cross for the winner, which might have been prevented had Fredericks remained on the field and not got himself sent off.

But if we can't take advantage of a very poor Birmingham team that includes the thuggish and slow 38-year old Paul Robinson at fullback then what chance do we have?

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[toshes mate]

The only contribution I would make is that if we/SJ knows we are playing a team that will try and bully us, why didn't we play Malone and Ayite rather than Piazon and Sess from the start?

That is enough to get to the root of the problem, davew, although I may have started with Piazon too.  Don't try to fix something that ain't broke.

[filham]

Not an entirely unexpected result but a team expecting to climb into a top six place should have done better.