Big Sam's Real Madrid vs Fulham, 1-1, stats

[ImperialWhite]

The Grauniad chalkboard report:

• We out passed them; 439 (82.7% accurate) passes against 216 (68%) - double the number of passes, 10% greater accuracy.
• They were dirtier; 23 fouls conceded by Rovers, 11 conceded by us (we'll have to wait until MOTD to see if Schwarzer should have been sent off for handling outside the box, and it's fairly obvious their goal should have been disallowed.
• Duff wasn't bad, just OK; 30 good passes out of 39, but only around 6 go to into or near to the box - they're mostly possession keeping passes which are good and to be encouraged, but we know he can do better. He has two shots on goal, both blocked.
• Dembélé had a pretty good game really - but missed Zamora; he made 35 passes (30 accurate) all over the place! He must have covered an enormous distance today. Only one shot. Passed to Salcido, in the goal build up. An assist-assist, if you will. He also won 4/7 tackles, again, all over the shop. Maybe his lack of shots is indicative of dropping too deep to keep/win back possession?*
• Murphy, keeping things ticking in the middle; as usual - kept possession by making lots of good passes 64 passes (59 accurate). More successful tackles than Etuhu - 3/5 vs 2/3.
• Salcido's debut - super; as good if not better than Konch going forwards. 38 successful passes, of 49. One of these, of course, was a pin point accurate cross to Dempsey, an assist. He also had a cracking shot himself. He won 7 tackles, 2 of these in dangerous positions outside the box. Can see this guy being very useful indeed. Can Fulham win back the "most assists of a defender" award (Konch had the accolade in 07/08 season)?

*Sipwell, didn't you mention that his working for the team ethic let him down to a certain extent for Alkmaar Zaanstreek? If so, I think we saw that in him today. Not necessarily a bad thing mind - our impressive spells of possession led to our goal/ goal chances, and as they say, you can't concede if you've got the ball.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/chalkboards/create

[White Noise]

So much for Mark Hughes Hoofball. Marcus Hahnemann was saying on the radio this morning that we made over 500 passes against them last week and so they had to block and try and throw us off our game - what else could they do.

We are a very good passing side - to a level where even the thug teams struggle to find an answer to it.

[Fernhurst]

Blackburn are a very strong team at home. This was a very good point.

[AlFayedsChequebook]

Great analysis ImperialWhite. Staggering passing statistics which raise the question: Did Blackburn play football and can they be classified as a football team?

Agree about Duff, was suprised when Clint came off for Eddie rather than Duff (who is coming back from injury) for Gera.

If Salcido can match that performance week in week out we have a player on our hands.

Dembele got his proper intro to Premier League football today and did well considering the circumstances.

[ImperialWhite]

Cheers! :54:

MOTD

Schwarzer - did handle outside of the box, on paper should have been sent off. BUT - Schwarzer was being targetted by Blackburn. Sam "future Real Madrid manager" Allardyce's game plan was clearly: pump balls into the box, rough up the keeper.

Murphy - even better game than I thought. Did you see the way that when Schwarzer fluffed a cross, Murphy tracked back to make a cool clearance just yards from the goal line.

[jarv]

Just watched the match on tv in america....Murphy was brilliant! Didn't seem to tire this week either.
Great football and if we get kicked every week like this, will definitely need better referees. Stoke next.....oh boy.

[CaliforniaFFC]

Big Sam is a fantasy set piece manager. Useless fat cnut. Crap football, dirty players like Grella - how the feck did he not get a yellow - and a bunch of snarling nasty players. Fulham football second half was sublime at times - after a very poor first half. Great goal. Salcido is fecking good, very good. Kelly average - Pants better but needs to get over the WC hangover.

Oh if Zamora was fit we would be top five - four maybe.

Onward and upward. COYW!!!!

[Oakeshott]

Granted that Mark did handle the ball outside the penalty area, is that an automatic red card offence for a keeper, as it obviously isn't for outfield players? If he (or indeed an outfield player) deliberately handles and denies a clear goal scoring opportunity, then that is a red card, but I hadn't realised that a keeper handling outside the box but not denying a clear goalscoring opportunity was. (And with numerous players between Mark and the goal, including Brede on the line, one can't possibly say his offence denied a clear goal scoring opportunity.)

[Bilet]

Would not have been a red card for Schwarzer. If a keeper leaves his box he is a outfield player. Therefore he would have got a yellow card for the offence. He did not deny a clear goalscoring opportunity.

[Lighthouse]

That fair manager who has never taken any sort of back hander said that Kelly 'Nutted' that nice Bolton man and it should have been a penalty. Our Mexican full back also PUSHED a nice Bolton player and that should have been a penalty. So really we were lucky not to have those players booked or sent off as well as that handball.

The more Mr Aladicey talks the more I want to support volleyball.

[TonyGilroy]

Blackburn being the new Bolton?

[finnster01]

Blackburn being the new Bolton?

Actually I read something somewhere (and I can't remember where) but since Arsene Wenger got hired the three Prem teams with most sending offs are Blackburn, Everton and (somewhat surprisingly) Arsenal in that order.

[FatFreddysCat]

Granted that Mark did handle the ball outside the penalty area, is that an automatic red card offence for a keeper, as it obviously isn't for outfield players? If he (or indeed an outfield player) deliberately handles and denies a clear goal scoring opportunity, then that is a red card, but I hadn't realised that a keeper handling outside the box but not denying a clear goalscoring opportunity was. (And with numerous players between Mark and the goal, including Brede on the line, one can't possibly say his offence denied a clear goal scoring opportunity.)

To be honest if the Blackburn keeper had handled it outside like that i'd have been fuming he wasn't sent off.