Watch that second goal in slow motion

[Baszab]

Embarrassing defending
Sunday league positioning
5 players doing absolutely nothing on right side of penalty area
Bryan drawn in to the centre for the cross
Geezer totally unmarked at back post
Schurrle standing watching
Just so depressing

[ScalleysDad]

Having read a couple of match reports and seen the pundits summaries 'depressing' joins toothless, poor, blunt, disarray, shambolic, leaderless and no creativity. Blimey!

Just in case the Khans are reading this BT and BBC pundits actually used the same phrase in summary, poor recruitment.

Good morning all.

[HV71]

The other common parlance is

" Rock bottom Fulham"
And of Course
"Without a clean sheet Fulham "

It's so depressing

[HV71]

The way we move ( or don't) looks like slow motion even in real time. Pathetic defending

[Woolly Mammoth]

Blimey, after reading those reports, it's worse than I thought. We really are walking the plank. The only redeeming factor is that despite our predicament, we are still only four points away from safety, which is amazing.
But for how long I ask myself ?

[ScalleysDad]

Blimey, after reading those reports, it's worse than I thought. We really are walking the plank. The only redeeming factor is that despite our predicament, we are still only four points away from safety, which is amazing.
But for how long I ask myself ?

The only snag with clutching onto that straw is that by kick off yesterday the team would have known the others in the mix had been beaten. What better time and what better incentive to roll up those sleeves and grab the points. If we cannot do that under yesterday's circumstances how do we fare when post Christmas we have a number of six pointers lined up.

[davew]

Blimey, after reading those reports, it's worse than I thought. We really are walking the plank. The only redeeming factor is that despite our predicament, we are still only four points away from safety, which is amazing.
But for how long I ask myself ?

Not long, the gap will be wider by the New Year! We will still probably be on 9 points and have conceded another 7 goals by then.

[The Rational Fan]

Having read a couple of match reports and seen the pundits summaries 'depressing' joins toothless, poor, blunt, disarray, shambolic, leaderless and no creativity. Blimey!

Just in case the Khans are reading this BT and BBC pundits actually used the same phrase in summary, poor recruitment.

Good morning all.

Its not just recuitiment that is the problem. Are the Fulham players of 17/18, performing as well as those from the Cardiff 17/18 or Wolves 17/18 team?

[ScalleysDad]

Certainly performances are down but Cardiff also have far more grit about them which is something we can't seem to buy. Wolves would seem to have sorted their drop in form with coaching and a sprinkling of belief.
Personally I think we go all the way back to the point made by our resident cabbie when splits in the camp and a bit of salary envy was causing problems back stage.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Blimey, after reading those reports, it's worse than I thought. We really are walking the plank. The only redeeming factor is that despite our predicament, we are still only four points away from safety, which is amazing.
But for how long I ask myself ?

The only snag with clutching onto that straw is that by kick off yesterday the team would have known the others in the mix had been beaten. What better time and what better incentive to roll up those sleeves and grab the points. If we cannot do that under yesterday's circumstances how do we fare when post Christmas we have a number of six pointers lined up.

I dread to think.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Blimey, after reading those reports, it's worse than I thought. We really are walking the plank. The only redeeming factor is that despite our predicament, we are still only four points away from safety, which is amazing.
But for how long I ask myself ?

Not long, the gap will be wider by the New Year! We will still probably be on 9 points and have conceded another 7 goals by then.

On that note, I think I shall pour myself a glass of Sherry.

[Neil D]

I think Ream (not Bryan) was drawn away from Antonio to try to cut out the cross because Mawson had lost his man.  Doesn't matter much.  Still inept defending. 

[ex-Pat]

Blimey, after reading those reports, it's worse than I thought. We really are walking the plank. The only redeeming factor is that despite our predicament, we are still only four points away from safety, which is amazing.
But for how long I ask myself ?

                                   ONLY..

[Matt10]

Bryan went to high pressure the centre, in front of our midfielders. This seems to be a strategy versus Bryan going on a run for no reason.  Bryan did not communicate with anyone else though, and Schurrle was left to mark the outside back Zabaleta.

Ream stayed goal-side, and for some reason, Mawson went to no man's land near Odoi on the right-hand side. Odoi did not pressure the ball, yet we had 2 other players around him in Cairney and Chambers, with no penetrating run to worry about. Mawson abandoned his position, and left Ream for dead, while Bryan hurried had pushed all the way over near Seri. The ball went easily over Mawson's head, and Ream had to commit, leaving Antonio.

You can pick who you want to blame here. It was a chain reaction of mistakes. If I were to pick anyone, it'd be Mawson because he 100% did not need to go where he went. If he had stuck to cover Chicarito, Ream wouldn't have had to commit. Schurrle is the easy scapegoat, but our wingers are not instructed to drop back, only to lightly mark the overlapping FB. Ream or Bryan need to tell Schurrle if they're desperate, but in that moment, Mawson's positioning was deadly. After that I'd pick Odoi not stepping to the crosser. Then I'd pick Bryan for the high pressure that seems unecessary, but in a system that is designed for the outside midfielders to cover the wing, it means the outside back tucks in further to pressure.

CR needs to drill in these scenarios much more, but this isn't as advanced as we're capable of. Unfortunate that we were punished for trying to perform the defensive system, but it's exposing more spaces and is a high risk in this scenario.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Blimey, after reading those reports, it's worse than I thought. We really are walking the plank. The only redeeming factor is that despite our predicament, we are still only four points away from safety, which is amazing.
But for how long I ask myself ?

                                   ONLY..

Ok, we are at least 4 points away from safety and it appears that total may continue to rise.

[filham]

Losing last season's fullbacks was a blow, we have not replaced them with players of better quality.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Losing last season's fullbacks was a blow, we have not replaced them with players of better quality.

A good point, and that reflects badly on the recruitment merchants.

[GJB]

Having read a couple of match reports and seen the pundits summaries 'depressing' joins toothless, poor, blunt, disarray, shambolic, leaderless and no creativity. Blimey!

Just in case the Khans are reading this BT and BBC pundits actually used the same phrase in summary, poor recruitment.

Good morning all.

Its not just recuitiment that is the problem. Are the Fulham players of 17/18, performing as well as those from the Cardiff 17/18 or Wolves 17/18 team?

+1. Completely agree with this. Not only performing poorly, (ream, mcdonald and johansen to think of a few) but also it seemed not wanting to integrate the new players into the club ... It's not just the new players who should be blamed.

[Mince n Tatties]

Shearer got it spot on in Motd,our defending is a shambles,which we knew already, but his analysis of certain players was correct.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Shearer got it spot on in Motd,our defending is a shambles,which we knew already, but his analysis of certain players was correct.

Unless they get their heads down in training with drills covering defensive duties for all players in defensive areas and that includes the midfield who do not tuck in quick enough when we lose the ball, and Schurrie does not track back to protect his full back or pick his marker up.
When our full backs are shown a clean pair of heals by an opponent, our centre backs are slow to come across to cover and delay the attack by jockeying.
Also the full backs do not come inside to replace the centre back position to restore the balance, and none of the defence shift across.
When we lose the ball on the left, the furthest midfield player on the right should tuck in, same goes if we lose the call on the right, the furthest midfielder on the left tucks in to keep our shape.
But because these basics are not executed quick enough, because players do not know their job, or maybe they ignore instructions.
The bottom line is, we lose our shape, the balance of the defence is effected because there is no depth and no delay.
So our last man is hit far too early and our keeper has no cover.
It's Sunday morning stuff, I take that back, as Sunday morning teams are better organised, and they pay to play.
So if this glaring weakness is not addressed on the training pitch this week. 
Then the same mistakes will happen at Newcastle, and Alan Shearer will be repeating himself, and we will not keep a clean sheet.