ABFG, excellent post. Your opinion please. Do you think, after a poor start to the season, Joka changed things and we moved up the table playing good football, the team has hit the wall again.? Could it be once again, opponents have figured out Fulham and tactically being outclassed.?
Hi - thanks for the nice comments. I think generally SJ has the team in a higher position in the table than the overall depth and ability in the squad. That takes time and dedication on the training ground, for which coaching and playing staff should be complimented (and in fairness the board for getting and keeping a good manager). I also think that (as I said above, see reply to andyk for detail on this) our expansive style of play that has led to so many goals scored will inevitably also lead to exposing the centre backs and conceding more than average too (and the, ahem, odd mistake). Hence why my view is the need for ruthlessness in front of goal if we persist with this style.
In terms of it, since the team settled into the season and style and new players bedding in etc, it's been a positive season and it's a joy to worry about the top end not the bottom. Where frustration comes is that this has been a great opportunity, and still is a great opportunity, to get promoted and maybe the board could have done more.
Firstly the team seems a bit jaded. Our squad is not deep enough for rotation of key players and this must start to affect things. Secondly the squad is somewhat unbalanced. We have a lot of no.10/winger type players, but no trustworthy centre forwards and this is costing us now. A new centre forward is my top of the list, but obviously we need to strengthen other areas too, particularly centre back. But given one new player, for me a CF would give the most impact on points (even if perhaps not goals).
If you look at form (I like the BBC full table with the colour dots for 10 game form because you can really see the form visually) our recent form is not too bad and at the very least roughly equivalent to those around us. Our teamwork is one of the best in the league. Our squad overall natural ability and depth is probably higher middling in the league (based on only seeing each other team once, a couple twice) and so we have sort of stabilised out roughly where we deserve. I do believe a bit more in January could have made a big difference.
If we didn't go up this year, which obviously is still possible of course, I worry about a couple of resurgent teams like Derby, Villa and Norwich. But that's for next season. Right now, it's still possible, we should still have faith and until the final whistle of the final game I'll have no idea whether I'll be happy all summer or grumpy!
