News:

Use a VPN to stream games Safely and Securely 🔒
A Virtual Private Network can also allow you to
watch games Not being broadcast in the UK For
more Information and how to Sign Up go to
https://go.nordvpn.net/SH4FE

Main Menu


Monday Fulham Stuff - 21/10/19...

Started by WhiteJC, October 20, 2019, 06:17:14 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

WhiteJC


WhiteJC

Games for mid-week 23/10
So for another mid-week game at the Cottage we welcome the "Hatters" Luton Town.
Well the game against Stoke didn't go as we'd planned, I guess the unbeaten run had to end sometime and it's probably no surprise that we lost to the bottom team, how Fulhamish!
One of our American friends HatterDon will have been looking forward to this game, he's got a soft spot for Luton, and probably whatever the result he'll enjoy the game.

We really need a result from this game if we want to stay in touch with the teams at the top of the table.
Luton will be a tricky one, they beat Bristol City who were on a 10 match unbeaten run, at the weekend and will be full of confidence, especially if they look at our 1st half performance against Stoke, we can't play that badly again, can we?

COYWs

Games of Interest...
Tuesday 22nd

Millwall v Cardiff
Preston NE v Leeds
QPR v Reading
Swansea v Brentford
West Brom v Barnsley

Wednesday 23rd
Bristol City v Charlton
Derby v Wigan
Fulham v Luton



come on over to the forum and join in the discussion...
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0



https://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=957

WhiteJC


Cottage Talk Post Match Show: Stoke City vs. Fulham

Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

This is our post match show of the 2-0 loss for Fulham against Stoke City. Was the match lost before it began with the formation for Fulham? Why did Scott Parker not change the formation for the second half? We talked about those questions along with all of the key moments in this match.


Lastly, you can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2019/10/20/20923327/cottage-talk-post-match-show-stoke-city-vs-fulham


WhiteJC

Five Thoughts: Stoke City 2-0 Fulham

Ah, disappointment, you weren't gone for long. Sammy James called it before the international break, Fulham's deflating 2-0 loss against Stoke City was written on the walls, right from the moment the season's schedule was released. That has to be the most Championship result you could ever get. Bottom of the league, bereft of confidence, smash and grab another victory from a promotion hopeful.


Nathan Jones should have been sacked weeks ago but, to his credit, the Potters have seemingly turned a corner. Stoke are a wounded animal and we encountered them at the wrong time. They are not basement dwellers and a purple patch was long overdue. A defeat, like it or not, was tattooed all over matchday 12.

As ever, in the only way we know how as plucky Fulham fans, we go again on Wednesday. What's done is done and now we have Luton Town to focus on, another gruelling, exhilarating meeting in England's thrilling second division. 10th, 6 points off top. Still a contender, still relevant, still the super shaggin' Whites.

Formation Foils Fulham
I'm a strong believer in Scott Parker's coaching intelligence but that formation, approach and strategy was dragged straight from Felix Magath's school of hideous procedures. There was a grave lack of respect shown in Fulham's lopsided shape, a complacency that was shredded by a buoyant Stoke City, a side that were clearly roused after beating Swansea City in South Wales before the international break. Scotty, your decisions were naive and ignorant.

Since when was a trip to the Bet365 Stadium a routine outing? Three points – let alone any amount of joy whatsoever – are never guaranteed. Bottom of the standings or not, never take Stoke lightly. The Potters were miserly, vastly uninspired, but they rallied and struck with ruthless ramifications, dismembering the Whites' thin, insufficient defensive cover. Route one, that's all it took to bypass Fulham's makeshift central partnership of Alfie Mawson, Tim Ream and Joe Bryan.

Even with Harrison Reed and Harry Arter sat directly in front, far too much pressure and onus was placed on the back three. Immobile, tactless, ill-equipped, Stoke City utilised their commonplace long ball game expertly. Clearing their lines, aiming for wide quadrants with acres to traverse, Stoke targeted Mawson's lethargic turn of pace along the right and preyed upon Bryan's aerial impotence along the left. Mawson, sitting between the two, stood statuesque and was spun into the upside down by a marauding Peter Etebo. In essence, balance and stability was absent in Fulham's line up, and if we're to bounce back immediately, the debilitating 3-5-2 formation has to be scrapped and destroyed with fire.

Bryan, Beyond Baffled
Elaborating further on the opening point, Bryan, for obvious, fundamental reasons, is not a central defender and he never will be. Perhaps our most positive, creative offensive outlet, deploying the natural left-back within a back three is simply beyond plausible comprehension. Experimenting is perfectly fine if it makes credible sense, but stationing Bryan in that capacity was completely baffling. If Bryan was to compete and contest against Lee Gregory's and Tyrese Campbell's height advantage, stilts would have been necessary.

A flagrant mismatch of stature and physicality, Stoke's 16th-minute opener was engineered by Gregory, who towered above Bryan to glance into Campbell's path. The hosts hoisted long balls in Bryan's direction because they knew he wouldn't be able to challenge them. He was powerless. We've seen Denis Odoi compliment the heart of a back four in the past, but Bryan is not a utility man, like the Belgian is. On the flanks, the 26-year-old's electrifying. In an alien, irregular position such as on the left of a sitting trio, he's a fish out of water.

Fulham spent the majority of the game camped in Stoke's half and with Bryan involved in various sequences, the Whites had an impetus. In the middle of the park, Bryan would collect possession and spread play from wing to wing, acting as an auxiliary playmaker. Shifting the ball methodically, Bryan also grazed the crossbar with a sumptuous missile from 30 yards, emphasising the threat and productivity within his refined left boot. Bryan, typically, winched 7 crosses into the penalty area, and whilst nothing solid surfaced from his resourceful enterprise, that's what the intrepid fullback should be doing on a scheduled basis without delay along his familiar touchline. We can't afford to sacrifice his productivity.

Arter's Atrocious Attitude
I've got to air my frustrations. I am not a fan of Harry Arter at the moment at all. Week after week, no matter who we face, the Republic of Ireland international paints an extremely petulant picture of what a seasoned, qualified professional should be. His sudden outbursts are tiresome, his temperament is atrocious and his disciplinary threshold is non-existent. He is the antithesis of a true passion merchant. If anything, he's nothing more than a hindrance with a malicious, dishonourable streak.

It's a crying shame that my opinion of Arter's been soured, but if I were playing alongside him, I'd have wobbled his head a very, very long time ago. The 29-year-old is an immensely talented midfielder, capable of altering encounters in a split second, but he allowed Badou Ndiaye to scramble his composure, his decency, and before he was ejected from proceedings due to a suspected injury, you could hear his blood boiling. Parker has a vexatious dilemma on his hands with his narky brother-in-law and I, for one, am calling for a long-winded family intervention, because something's not right with him.

Fizzing with the right kind of energy, Arter is a welcome contributor within our midfield ranks. I'm not entirely writing him off or discrediting his integrity, although his afternoon in Staffordshire was mediocre at best. When Fulham needed to intensify the tempo, Arter staggered on the ball, stemming the flow of the game, smothering momentum in the process. Accompanied by erratic, misplaced passes, the midfield meddler curtailed progressive sequences of possession, and whilst he stung Adam Federici's palms with a venomous drive, he was undoubtedly out of his depth. To conclude, I'll take Stefan Johansen over the tetchy Sidcup-born Irishman any day, hands down, without hesitation.

Bettinelli's Banana Boots
Marcus Bettinelli did his best Steven Gerrard impersonation on Stoke's slick, unforgiving surface and Campbell, like Demba Ba at Anfield, pounced to stroke past our flimsy-footed 'keeper. A good workman should never blame his tools, but when your studs are as practical as high school loathers on black ice, you've got to give Pro Direct a visit, Betts. Bin the banana boots. If he had a steady footing on the turf, he could have closed the gap between Campbell and the bottom left corner, but that hapless stumble gift wrapped Stoke a surefire opportunity to plant an opportunistic jab right on the kisser.

There's always cause for debate where Betts is concerned. Dubious of his ability, the 27-year-old stopper atoned for his calamitous error by clawing Joe Allen's sculpted strike away from the target. A save of supreme quality to deny Stoke's skipper a certain goal. Betts banana skinned yet again when Campbell was threaded through in the 31st minute, but this time, he did just enough to impede the striker's prodded effort. Fulham pressed for an equaliser and Betts, when called upon, intercepted looping crosses and swatted bothersome corners out of perilous areas, although as we've already discovered, he has an uncanny knack of tarnishing his performances with irrational, misjudged impulses.

Streaming into the penalty area, Scott Hogan was actually striding away from the target when Betts launched himself at the attacker's feet. Tim Ream was also on hand on the goal line if needed, so the stopper's illogical lunge genuinely wasn't warranted. In the heat of the moment, though, I'm sure alarm bells were ringing, but if Hogan had continued without being felled, I'm sure he would have blasted the ball into the terraces. If Betts had stayed on his feet, he could have screened the former Brentford man away from the target, but I understand his prerogative as a 'keeper. He was always going to commit and run the risk of conceding an avoidable penalty.

Shoot, Strike, Squander
We can spend all day pointing fingers at our defence for having the same consistency as a wet paper bag that's been pummelled to a pulp by Mike Tyson, but we also have to berate our attack for not converting the clear cut opportunities they had to cancel out and relinquish Stoke's stubborn grip on proceedings. Complacency reared its ugly head quite a lot on Saturday, as there was very little conviction with the back of the net in our sights. Smacked of Barnsley away on the opening day, that.

Bobby Reid, bless him, couldn't buy a goal if there was an 80% sale on. Pinpointed by Ivan Cavaleiro, the unmarked 26-year-old could have set himself before dispatching, but with basically the entire target at his mercy, an instantaneous header was elected. Butting the ball down Federici's throat from 6 yards, Fulham's faithful were in a state of disbelief. Arter let fly, Bryan cannoned from long range but Stoke's sheet remained clean. How Cav's 39th-minute cutback dribbled wide by a whisker, we'll never know. From that moment onward, that hollow feeling in your stomach meant that it wasn't going to be our day.

Wave after wave of unrelenting pressure ensued, but Stoke clung on to compound Fulham's anguish. In the form of his career, you'd have placed your house on Aleksandar Mitrovic scoring in the 87th minute. Tom Cairney floated a tantalising cross inbound and Mitro' sprung to meet it. Readying himself to pick the ball up from inside the frame, Federici's luck was in as he clutched the Serb's resulting header. One of the hottest hitmen in Europe, doused by a vigilant 34-year-old Australian. If only Jack Butland were between the sticks. We would have run amok.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2019-10-20-five-thoughts-stoke-city-2-0-fulham/

WhiteJC

'Out his depth', 'Shocking tactics' – These Fulham fans slam key figure after Stoke defeat

Fulham fell to a disappointing 2-0 defeat at struggling Stoke yesterday, which saw them fall to tenth in the Championship as a result.

The Potters had won just one game all season going into the fixture, whilst they were yet to pick up maximum points at home in the league.

However, you couldn't tell, with Nathan Jones' side having too much for the Cottagers.

Boss Scott Parker made a bold selection call before the game, playing with a back three and having the attacking Anthony Knockaert and Ivan Cavaleiro as wing-backs.

It came after Fulham finished strongly against Charlton prior to the international break but it didn't have the same impact in Staffordshire.

The players struggled to adapt to the new formation and they certainly didn't dominate and create chances in the way they would've hoped.

So, frustration was inevitable and many fans are starting to lose patience with Parker as the side underachieve.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/out-his-depth-shocking-tactics-these-fulham-fans-slam-key-figure-after-stoke-defeat/

WhiteJC

Steely Stoke punish Parker's tactical gamble

Just what is it about Stoke City that scrambles the minds of Fulham managers? Five years ago, the Whites crashed out of the Premier League here after Felix Magath made the mystifying decision to play Dan Burn, a 6ft 5in centre half, at right back. This afternoon, Scott Parker selected Joe Bryan, a 5ft 7in left back, as one of three centre backs. Through no fault of his own one of Fulham's most consistent performers of this campaign began a target for high balls pumped towards Lee Gregory – and the visitors, after making an encouraging start, never recovered once the striker's flick on was seized upon by Tyrese Campbell to give the Potters the lead.

Parker's decision to start with an adventurous 3-4-1-2 was undoubtedly influenced by Fulham's second half display against Charlton before the international break, when he risked a bold tactical switch at half time as the hosts chased the game. Bryan filled as an emergency centre back there, but Charlton rarely pressed into defensive duties in the middle of the back three; the former Bristol City full back was far busier today. The change in system also allowed Parker to accommodate Bobby Decordova-Reid, who had starred off the bench against the Addicks, but the forward was anonymous this afternoon.

Fulham's new system, which left them looking laborious and lethargic at times, also removed their natural width with notional wing-backs Anthony Knockaert and Ivan Cavaleiro looking lost when pushed high up the pitch to support an isolated Aleksandar Mitrovic as well as absent when it came to assisting an overworked back three. Harrison Reid and Harry Arter contrived to get in each other's way in centre midfield, so all in all it was an inauspicious change that highlighted Parker's inexperience as a manager.

It was a familiar story as Fulham enjoyed 78% of possession but struggled to create clear cut chances. The visitors began on the front foot, but went behind on the quarter hour mark from Stoke's first attack. The simple nature of the goal will grate with Parker. A long kick from Adam Federeci allowed Gregory to climb above Bryan in the air and Campbell burst away from Tim Ream before finishing clinically across Marcus Bettinelli, who slipped just as the Stoke striker was about to pull the trigger.

Despite enjoying most of the ball, Fulham could easily have been three down at half time. Gregory was instrumental again in releasing Joe Allen behind the visitors' defence but this time Bettinelli spread himself well to save the Welsh international's curling effort. Teenager Campbell, the son of former Arsenal and Everton striker Kevin, might have grabbed a second on the half hour but an untimely slip allowed Bettinelli to block his shot before Alfie Mawson got in the way of the follow-up.

Fulham played plenty of pretty football in front of a well drilled Stoke defence but struggled for penetration. The equaliser they craved almost arrived five minutes before the break when Ivan Cavaleiro fizzed in a low cross from the right that deflected first off Sam Clucas and then Mitrovic before trickling wide of the far post.

The home side began the second half on the front foot and almost added a second instantly when Bettinelli had to improvise to save another effort from Allen with his feet, but the Potters were largely content to soak up waves of Fulham pressure and hit their opponents on the break. The superb Cameron Carter-Vickers, a rumoured Fulham transfer target in the summer, marshalled Mitrovic with a modicum of fuss and genuine chances remained at a premium.

Arter drew the first save of the match from Federeci when a dipping volley from 20 yards threatened the far corner, before some strong hold-up play from Mitrovic created the space for Cairney to curl one towards the far corner from just outside the box but the Fulham skipper's shot was deflected just wide. Decordova-Reid drilled disappointingly wide from eleven yards and then an intricately worked free-kick saw Cairney's tame shot easily fielded by Federeci.

Fulham ramped up the pressure but their final ball was too often lacking. When Cavaleiro did conjure up a dangerous delivery, Decordova-Reid headed straight at Federeci and the closest Fulham actually came to a goal was when Bryan, by now operating as a marauding creator, grazed the crossbar with a dipping drive.

Just as Parker's men looked to pen Stoke back for a final push, the home side punished Fulham's profligacy with a sucker punch. The tireless Gregory released substitute Scott Hogan behind the remnants of the Fulham defence with a perfectly weighted through ball and, as the former Brentford forward attempted to skip around Bettinelli, the Fulham keeper brought him down. Gregory sent him the wrong way from the spot to seal back-to-back wins for Stoke, who climb off the bottom of the Championship table.

Nathan Jones celebrated with all the relief of a man whose job has been on the line for much of the first two months of the season, but Stoke's victory was made much simpler by Parker's tinkering. Fulham can't afford to hand over points so carelessly if they want to be in the promotion shake-up come the spring.

STOKE CITY (4-3-1-2): Federeci; Edwards, Martins Indi, Baath, Carter-Vickers; Allen, Ndiaye, Clucas (Lindsay 90); Etebo; Gregory (Vokes 90), Campbell (Hogan 76). Subs (not used): Butland, McClean, Ince, Duffy.

BOOKED: Ndiaye, Baath.

GOALS: Campbell (16), Gregory (pen 80).

FULHAM (3-4-1-2): Bettinelli; Mawson, Ream, Bryan; Knockaert (Kebano 83), Cavaleiro, Arter (Onomah 64), Reed; Decordova-Reid, Mitrovic. Subs (not used): Rodak, Christie, Odoi, Le Marchand, Kamara.

BOOKED: Mitrovic, Bettinelli.

REFEREE: Andy Davies (Hampshire).

ATTENDANCE: 23,189



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/10/steely-stoke-punish-parkers-tactical-gamble/