Jack and Loz at the Cottage - Blog 101

[Friendsoffulham]

Jack and Loz at the Cottage - Blog 101

Date: 17th March 2019

Opposition: Liverpool

Score 1 - 1 actual goal, 1 debatable penalty

Fulham goal scorer: Ryan Babel

Weather: sunshine, rain, hail, wind, rainbow, clouds, have we forgotten any?

Atmosphere: despite Liverpool fans infiltrating the home areas there were none in our section of H7 where the atmosphere was excellent

MOTM (football): for the second home game in a row we had a difficult decision. Whilst Frank was having his best match in a Fulham shirt, Joe Bryan continued his exponential improvement under Scott Parker and contrived to make Mo Salah disappear from the game. A special mention for Ryan Sessegnon, 18, for changing the game with his hunger, attitude, pace and positioning. But blazing a bright red trail up front, imposing himself on the game in every way and showing that, in some players, the hunger doesn't fade, was Ryan Babel who disrupted and disturbed the Liverpool defence throughout the game and thoroughly deserved the goal he was so determined to get

MOTM (non-football): it was great to see Chris Baird back the Cottage. We used to have him, you know

Mitromometer: bubbling not burning

Pub: we had an early dinner at Bills

On the night of 26th May 2018 when, slightly sunburnt and seriously shell shocked, we were celebrating Fulham's promotion outside a West Hampstead pub news came through that Liverpool had finished as runners up in the Champions League. This was disappointing for Liverpool fans, no doubt, but for us it was the first Premier League reality check: we were going to have to play the second best team in Europe twice next season.

We were at Anfield in November when Liverpool won the first of those two matches by blatantly cheating. And we were at the Cottage on Sunday when they won the second by means little better.

Liverpool are genuine title contenders with good reason. They have superb players who are at the top of their game individually but are unselfish enough to combine well as a unit. They make almost no mistakes. Every pass, every touch is perfect. Every move is fast and coordinated. Their counter attacks are like military manoeuvres they are so well planned and executed. They are a very exciting team to watch going forwards. Unless you are playing in defence against them of course.

Coupled with their skill, pace, awareness and physicality is a desire to win that cannot be taught or coached or enforced. A desire which can sometimes lead them to go too far (see below). Jurgen Klopp, with his gleaming teeth and glinting glasses, has fed and encouraged that desire so that his team will fight to win against lowly Fulham as hard as they do against the great teams of Europe.

But lowly Fulham, adrift at the bottom of the table with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, fought back. At Craven Cottage these days we give as good as we get. We have mentioned Babel already but this was a confident and dominant performance in which he outshone Mitro for the first time and demonstrated why he was once playing for Liverpool rather than against them. Calum Chambers proved to be a master at centre back while, partnered with him, Tim Ream is getting back to his very best under Stuart Grey's coaching. Tom Cairney played so well he got battered for it and Floyd Ayite put in a sterling shift of attacking threat and defensive cover.

As good as Liverpool are, we didn't make life easy for them, except perhaps on the right where Fosu-Mensah gave them too much space. Whilst they may have toyed with Fulham at times, we had them on the run for a large part of the second half. If Scotty got his starting line up just right, his subs were the work of genius. Seri wasn't big enough or physical enough and bringing on Sess as another attacker changed the game by upping the pace and freeing Babel to menace the Liverpool back line.

He came tantalisingly close a number of times but it was an ecstatic moment when he forced Alisson into his €72,000,000 mistake. Some people say Babel didn't celebrate the goal enough, but how can you even move when you are being bear hugged by Mitro???

There was a period after the goal where you could almost believe again, when it looked like this would be Scott's first point or even more, as well as a huge upset. But soon after Alisson, Rico made his own mistake and our relegation team luck continued. Rico should have caught the ball and he shouldn't have brushed Mane's chest. But Mane shouldn't have dropped like a sniper's victim and the referee shouldn't have been fooled.

This was yet another disappointing result in this achingly bad season but the performance was a good one and, ultimately, the best team in England could only beat us by riding their luck.

Random musings:-

- the minute's applause for long term Fulham employee Zara Barka Harrison was faultlessly observed and the Liverpool fans in the away end added their own unique and classy tribute by singing You'll Never Walk Alone while they clapped

- there was a delicious irony in signing The Intertoto, We Won It One Time to Liverpool who have won a couple of other things

- Mane is a great striker but isn't it demeaning to have to resort to throwing yourself on the ground to win a penalty against a virtually relegated team?

- on the subject of Scott's super sub making, Cyrus Christie brought us the luck of the Irish on St Patrick's Day and Kebano made his presence felt during his brief stint

- on the subject of Alisson, he was wearing leggings. In London. In March. And they were yellow.

- on the subject of Liverpool fans in the Hammersmith End, they were mainly sitting at the front so of course they got wet when it rained.

- Kevin McDonald clapped and encouraged the team all the time he was warming up - leadership in motion

- Ryan Sessegnon urging the crowd on after the goal. He doesn't want to leave but how can we make him stay???

Due to vagaries of the league we are still down but not yet out. This match wasn't as enjoyable as the resurgence against C******* and coming so close but still falling short again left us feeling flat. However, we appreciate Scott's team selections and tactics and we are enjoying watching what this team can actually do now it's been given the chance. But the season is meandering to its desolate end. The axe is above us and poised to fall.

https://werdsmith.com/p/BqkCWvdSKyevG

[Dixie]

Well written piece!

[Southcoastffc]

Well written piece!

:plus one:  Always enjoy these.