Team for Forest?

[westcliff white]

WHat I would pick is

Button

Odoi (assume Fred is still out)
Siggurdson (assuming Kalas isnt fit)
Ream
Malone

McDonal
Johansen
Cairney

ALuko
Kebano
Ayite

If Kalas is fit then Siggurdson to the bench

What I expect to play will be

Button

Odoi
Siggurdson
Ream
Malone

McDonald
Johansen
Cairney

Aluko
Martin
Ayite

[MJG]

                      Button
Odoi.    McDonald.    Madl.      Sess. 

Kebano.   Johansen  Cairney.   Aluko.

                        Ayite

                        Cyriac         

Won't happen but we don't make enough chances and need to compensate for not having a proper striker. Against Wigan we scored in injury time because we had players in the box.   Far too often there's maybe one or two and the final ball is never right. We need to play the law of percentages, more shots, more people in the box and hopefully more goals.

Our best chance of scoring seems to be the first Wigan goal. Get those lads running at defenders and squaring for tap ins.

Nope would not go back to 4411 and also I think you block Sess from doing what he does best, running into space by playing like that.
Stick with the 433/4123/41221  but not two banks of 4 please.

[dannyboi-ffc]

                      Button
Odoi.    McDonald.    Madl.      Sess. 

Kebano.   Johansen  Cairney.   Aluko.

                        Ayite

                        Cyriac         

Won't happen but we don't make enough chances and need to compensate for not having a proper striker. Against Wigan we scored in injury time because we had players in the box.   Far too often there's maybe one or two and the final ball is never right. We need to play the law of percentages, more shots, more people in the box and hopefully more goals.

Our best chance of scoring seems to be the first Wigan goal. Get those lads running at defenders and squaring for tap ins.

Nope would not go back to 4411 and also I think you block Sess from doing what he does best, running into space by playing like that.

Stick with the 433/4123/41221  but not two banks of 4 please.

It's what I'd do. Jokanoviv will play Ream and the striker who doesn't want to be here. No need to panic about the two banks of four just yet lol.

[Huxley]

IMO, need a DM for. The way we are playing, someither mcdonald or petos. will allow the FBs to go forward.m

[Chesh]

Bet no one is going to select Martin.

I would, as it gives us more balance, and if Jokanovic believes he is trying his best, then he will know better than any of us.

For those that think Saturday is some kind of evidence that he isn't, then I guess they aren't very familiar with his usual playing style. Ask Derby fans - he'll still score and link up though, even if he isn't charging round then pitch trying to prove his loyalty to the cause.

[Chesh]

many falling into the  "he's out the team so is a better player than we remember he was" syndrome with regards Sigurdsson

This is also the case with Bettenelli I feel. Can't believe that people want him in ahead of Button, especially after Saturday.

I have too vivid a memory of his shortcomings towards (especially) the end of the 2014/15 season, and unless he has dramatically improved on his confidence when the ball comes into a crowded box then I would prefer Button and his kitten inducing ball play.

[Madman Maddle]

We all know their faults and you can see that Ream in in the team for me on two counts. left footed and also better footballer with the ball.

The bold I can't leave without comment. The popular misconception of Ream being good with the ball at his feet has been irking me for weeks. I guess it's a desperate try to explain why he is a regular for us. The only thing that Ream has going for him is that he's left-footed. He is bad with the ball at his feet. Needs an eternity in footballing terms to control the ball and has NEVER played an opening forward pass. All he does is playing short passes to either McDonald or Malone. I know that's the style we play, but Madl and to some extend Kalas always look for open attacking players before taking the short pass, which has often resulted into goals. To use the pace of our attacking players and combat deep-sitting teams we must play faster out of the back AT LEAST when there's opportunity to do so.


But I don't even want to get into whether Ream can play or not. His defending is abysmal. Way too passive and bad technique overall. Just look at our last 2 games. You can look back even further to confirm, but the last 2 games are still in my mind.


Birmingham. Please watch the video from the beginning until the 1:10 mark and focus solely on Ream, nobody else. Bad defending technique over and over and over again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62Or4C9RCII


Against Wigan please watch at the 0:18 and 0:55 mark. Ream should invite Button to dinner or at least wash his car. Bad decision making and technique again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emDI9VGwY88


Alone in those 2 games Ream probably had the same number of bad mistakes that Kalas and Madl had all season combined. It's no secret I prefer Madl over Ream. Obviously I'm rooting for Ream to succeed if he plays, he just isn't good enough for our top 6 aspirations.

[HeinekenFFC]

Button

Odoi - Sigg - Ream - Malone

Cairney - McDonald - Johansen

Aluko - Martin - Ayite.

Same as Wigan. Forest aren't as good defensively as Wigan, so I think Martin will play better. Forest are apparently without their 2 best centre backs in Mills and Mancienne, so we could fare better. Their captain and RB, Lichaj, is also suspended, so the two wingers could again have a field day. I'd keep Kebano and Cyriac on the warmer though in case Martin fails to turn up again.

[Chesh]

Button

Odoi - Sigg - Ream - Malone

Cairney - McDonald - Johansen

Aluko - Martin - Ayite.

Same as Wigan. Forest aren't as good defensively as Wigan, so I think Martin will play better. Forest are apparently without their 2 best centre backs in Mills and Mancienne, so we could fare better. Their captain and RB, Lichaj, is also suspended, so the two wingers could again have a field day. I'd keep Kebano and Cyriac on the warmer though in case Martin fails to turn up again.

Agree with all that, except Madl played against Wigan, and I would start him again against Forest  065.gif

[dannyboi-ffc]

People go on about Ream on the ball as if Madl is terrible with the ball at his feet. I don't think Ream is as good on the ball as people make out and more importantly not as good as he thinks he is.

By being good on the ball you need to make the right decision. Ream far too often tries things that are unnecessary as if to justify why he's selected. He saw Button vacate his goal to make an angle for a pass against Wigan and instead tried to turn Bogle in his own 6 yard box. That is stupidity and nothing else when a simple pass is on. Defensively he is very vulnerable, easy to shrug off the ball and very slow on the ball. He never looks long and plays a Beckhamesque type pass, yet Madl does. So does Kalas.

IMO Reams capabilities have been exaggerated because it's all he has. He's a terrible defender and if he wasn't left footed he'd be in the under 23s. Our best performance  as a centre back pairing was Newcastle in the first game when Madl played. I appreciate Madl has made mistakes but he is more consistent and a better player & defender than Ream.

[dannyboi-ffc]

We all know their faults and you can see that Ream in in the team for me on two counts. left footed and also better footballer with the ball.

The bold I can't leave without comment. The popular misconception of Ream being good with the ball at his feet has been irking me for weeks. I guess it's a desperate try to explain why he is a regular for us. The only thing that Ream has going for him is that he's left-footed. He is bad with the ball at his feet. Needs an eternity in footballing terms to control the ball and has NEVER played an opening forward pass. All he does is playing short passes to either McDonald or Malone. I know that's the style we play, but Madl and to some extend Kalas always look for open attacking players before taking the short pass, which has often resulted into goals. To use the pace of our attacking players and combat deep-sitting teams we must play faster out of the back AT LEAST when there's opportunity to do so.


But I don't even want to get into whether Ream can play or not. His defending is abysmal. Way too passive and bad technique overall. Just look at our last 2 games. You can look back even further to confirm, but the last 2 games are still in my mind.


Birmingham. Please watch the video from the beginning until the 1:10 mark and focus solely on Ream, nobody else. Bad defending technique over and over and over again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62Or4C9RCII


Against Wigan please watch at the 0:18 and 0:55 mark. Ream should invite Button to dinner or at least wash his car. Bad decision making and technique again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emDI9VGwY88


Alone in those 2 games Ream probably had the same number of bad mistakes that Kalas and Madl had all season combined. It's no secret I prefer Madl over Ream. Obviously I'm rooting for Ream to succeed if he plays, he just isn't good enough for our top 6 aspirations.

100 percent agree. Watch his decision making in those videos. It's not the decision making of a good football brain.

I'll also point out that if he plays I want him to play well. But I also want the best for Fulham and before a ball is kicked it's Madl all day long for me too.

[HeinekenFFC]

I agree. I can't stand Ream personally as he's way too calamitous and makes so many mistakes leading to goals. But given how Slav seems to constantly keep playing him despite the fact that I think Sigg and Madl are much better, it's pretty much a sure thing now that I have to always put him in the XI.

[callumc513]

Bettinelli
Odoi - Madl - Ream - Malone
Cairney - McDonald - Johansen
Aluko - Martin - Ayité

[Yamus]

Out of all those players everybody has picked which one deserves to be captain because I think that is what we are lacking at the moment.

[HatterDon]

Stockdale;
Volz, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido;
Davies, Murphy, Etuhu, Duff;
Dempsey;
Zamora

[Carborundum]

Out of all those players everybody has picked which one deserves to be captain because I think that is what we are lacking at the moment.

Johansen looks like he would settle well in that role. 

[rvFFC]

Out of all those players everybody has picked which one deserves to be captain because I think that is what we are lacking at the moment.

Johansen looks like he would settle well in that role.

I would maybe say odoi, seems to be very passionate about wanting to play

[westcliff white]

Out of all those players everybody has picked which one deserves to be captain because I think that is what we are lacking at the moment.

Johansen looks like he would settle well in that role.

I would maybe say odoi, seems to be very passionate about wanting to play

WHoever is captain has to be one of the first choice players, so Odoi would be out he roates with Fred a lot, although I get the impression fred is first choice. Odoi does have passion though.

Cairney isnt doing badly, he justisnt a shouter and a screamer, it can come across as negative and moaning. Some said Ross was a negative effect as captain as thats what he did , so it is a case of what do you want and who is the best at it. Maybe Tom leads by example in the Beckham mould, who knows. They should al lbe captains when they play, helping and speaking to everyone

[Mullers OG]

Bettinelli

Odoi  Madl  Ream  Malone

Johanson Cairney McDonald

Ayite  Martin  Kebano

[Carborundum]

The "Tuesdays Fulham News" thread contains a couple of interesting remarks from Gary Brazil.

He's basically setting out his stall that Fulham are going to have lots of the ball, Forest will sit deep and counter.  That's a pointless thing to say...unless the real plan is to rip into us from the kick off and give it a right good go.  That's what I'm expecting them to do. That's what I'd expect McCormack to recommend they do.   Time will tell.

Brazil also refers to Fulham splitting their centre backs to make the play.  He's right, but I have never really thought about it that way before.  When I think back to the H&H Thames barrier, surely they hardly ever split and even if the did Etuhu was there or thereabouts..  Suspect this splitting up  makes the job of defending as a centre back  significantly harder.  My respect for Kalas' ability has risen.

There's also a photo of a skinny guy who looks a bit like Ross McCormack who even has the audacity to hold up Ross' shirt.  I'm hoping he's done a Berba and has starved his way to a six pack as a result of recent criticism.  A fighting fit and high energy McCormack is the last thing we need!