Just got back

[Twig]

Poor Button - damned if he does damned if he doesn't.  Most teams are superior physically and better in the air than us.

But we are better than most teams when the ball is on the floor, so that's why we play the way we do, No idea why our fans are so keen to see Button kick it long.

Agree. Cannot understand why after over a year some people have still not worked out (a) that button is under orders from Jokanovic to play it short and (b) the reasons Jokanovic wants us to play like that. The ironic cheer today was embarrassing, shows how many idiots we have in the crowd

Sorry Statto but I cheered and I think from my past posts you may agree that i am no idiot. My reasoning is explained in my previous post.

[Carborundum]

What do people think about the penalty? Just watched it on the sky website and think it is ridiculously soft.

Havent seen the replay but a decent view from the JH Stand.  I thought it was a foul, could see the arm.  So not soft in that sense.  But why on earth foul the least threatening player on the pitch like that, makes no sense to me.  Soft in that way.

For a game with only a penalty goal, it was ridiculously entertaining.  Mulitiple Davids versus multiple Goliaths, with everyone sticking to their natural battle plan.  We were all heart, plenty of fancy footwork, but hardly any common sense at all.  Our approach to game management was "sod that let's try for another".  McDonald probably wouldn't have stood for it, but Cairney's a different character.  Well done lads.

Kalas was magnificent.

[Riversider]

Bloody astonishing that some of our supporters handles the goal kicks as he does through his own choosing, he doesn't !
As others have alluded to he is following strict orders from Jokanovic , I was delighted for him on the 38th minute when he stuck a virtual two fingers up to Jokanovic and decided to kick it long, especially as it led to a chance,
Would matter if we had Shilton, Clemence, or Jennings in goal they would all have to follow the same instructions,  so if you've got a problem with his distribution I suggest you take it up with Jokanovic.

[bog]

Winning London Derbies at the best of times is never easy. Especially with our recent home form.
So I am just grateful for three points at the moment, and not forgetting a clean sheet.

:plus one:

[Mince n Tatties]

I'm just back, not much to report I suppose on another disappointing home performance (We need to get this sorted),too much to think we'd get goals today after Tuesday's 5.
Still a win is a win.
As for Button kicking it long,maybe we should do it a few more times as every team now know we fiddle it out from the back,its called element of surprise.Coyw
Before some of you get your panties in a twist I'm not saying we should play long ball game,just a surprise now and then.

[Whitesideup]

Pleased with the three points. Not disappointed with the home performance. We did what we had to do. Clearly the better footballing team against a big, hard-working, reasonably well-organized Millwall. Interesting the comment from the Millwall supporter who would like them to play the way we do, rather than their long ball, throw it in the mix and hope for the best, style.

Could it have been better? Yes, of course it could. But we had no McDonald, and Johansen going off at half-time, (presumably injury) meant we had a make-shift midfield, which I thought did ok. And I felt (as very often) that it didn't quite work for us in their box, but the approach play wasn't too bad.

Find it strange that some have to see the glass three quarters empty, when it was more than half-full.

[MrD1879]

I thought Edun showed his class again when he came on really excited by him. Ojo was excellent (aside from not looking up when he ran the ball to the corner).

[Motspur]

I would expect that there is leeway for players to decide what's positive and what's not when playing out for goal kick. To me Button doesn't have intelligence to decide when to play short and when to hit long. If you only do one thing the opposition will not have to consider our alternative attacking options. His decision making for me is not as positive as Bettinelli's such as coming for long passes into the area and gathering crosses, plus his communication doesn't appear strong (the cross that he appeared to call for and Kalas left - he mishandled). To me Button doesn't exude confidence to certainly the crowd and possibly the players.

[TC's Sporran]

if button isn't cute enough to decide when to go long short or wherever surely joka can assign a clued up defender to have a look and tell him what to do?

predictability is easily countered
so every now and then do something different to keep the oppo on their toes

even concede a throw in rugby union style deep into their half with everyone already pressing up once every 10 mins to shake it up

football isn't rocket science but surely if not button, our side has more than one or two budding oppenheimers

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

a big difference for me was obviously Sess 'based' at FB and not marauding further forward with freedom
and Fred not getting forward with his crossing.
Conclusion, not enough width and crosses like the SUtd game

Only saw it on FFCTV though

I love watching all these live games over here.
I have to juggle life and work but well worth it

[Woolly Mammoth]

What do people think about the penalty? Just watched it on the sky website and think it is ridiculously soft.

I can see maybe another referee not giving it, but technically it looked a penalty where I was sitting. Lucky or not, I would rather be lucky than unlucky.

[Whitesideup]

What do people think about the penalty? Just watched it on the sky website and think it is ridiculously soft.

Apparently (so I am advised) Fonte had complained to the ref about being held on a previous occasion and so had "encouraged" the ref to keep an eye on contact on him. Clearly Fonte has made the most of it, but it looked as if the player had hold of him, and had he not, there was a chance Fonte would have got to the ball for a free header (which presumably was why the ref gave him a yellow card). But if you don't go down, refs just won't give them. Even when you do (eg Sessegnon against Derby) they still don't as different rules seem to apply in the penalty area to the rest of the pitch.

[Bill2]

What do people think about the penalty? Just watched it on the sky website and think it is ridiculously soft.

Apparently (so I am advised) Fonte had complained to the ref about being held on a previous occasion and so had "encouraged" the ref to keep an eye on contact on him. Clearly Fonte has made the most of it, but it looked as if the player had hold of him, and had he not, there was a chance Fonte would have got to the ball for a free header (which presumably was why the ref gave him a yellow card). But if you don't go down, refs just won't give them. Even when you do (eg Sessegnon against Derby) they still don't as different rules seem to apply in the penalty area to the rest of the pitch.

Agree with this and at the match it looked pretty certain to me but Was in the Hammy End. Looked at the highlights and difficult to see but still think it was. If you look at the highlights there was another penalty call which also looked like a good call but not given. Whatever it was it was not as soft as the one given against Ryan S against Burton. 

[Baszab]

Hardly any of their players appealed except the guy getting booked - they pretty much accepted it

[grandad]

Watched the Fonte pen incident. His right arm was grabbed stopping him going for a header for which he would have been unmarked. He was thus denied a goal scoring opportunity.

[MrD1879]

Soft one for me.

The problem with those sort of decisions is the massive inconsistentcy of how the refs enforce the law. Having watched the Leeds game before taking my seat there are three corners in a row where a Barnsley player almost tore a Leeds players shirt off his back yet the ref was 10 yards away and gave nothing

[SP]

No one has commented on Elliott elbowing Kalas in the face, about 5 yrds in front of the fourth official. looked a stone wall red to me. would surely have been a red if jokanovic and the rest of our bench had jumped up screaming like most other teams would

It was clear from the body language of their player that something fishy had happened.  I sit quite near the fourth official but like him expect, I didn't see the actual incident.

[hopper]

No one has commented on Elliott elbowing Kalas in the face, about 5 yrds in front of the fourth official. looked a stone wall red to me. would surely have been a red if jokanovic and the rest of our bench had jumped up screaming like most other teams would

It was clear from the body language of their player that something fishy had happened.  I sit quite near the fourth official but like him expect, I didn't see the actual incident.

Didn't see it. Would have changed the game completely if he went off. Can this be retrospectively looked at?