Monday Fulham Stuff - 16/12/19...

[WhiteJC]

'Can hear the axe being sharpened' – These Fulham fans are ready for a change following Brentford defeat

It was another day to forget for Fulham on Saturday, as they went down 1-0 at the hands of local rivals Brentford at Griffin Park.

The only goal of the game came midway through the first half, when summer signing Bryan Mbeumo scored his eighth goal of the season for the Bees, turning home Said Benrahma's cross from close range at the back post to set Thomas Frank's side on their way to victory.

Despite Fulham enjoying more of the possession, it was Brentford who created most of the chances, something which will undoubtedly be a concern for Scott Parker's side.

That defeat means it is now three straight defeats in the space of a week for Fulham, following earlier losses to Bristol City and Preston, a run that has seen them drop from third to sixth in the current Championship standings.

Taking to Twitter to react to that latest defeat, a number of Fulham fans were unsurprisingly far from happy with their side's performance, with many calling for an end to Scott Parker's time in charge of the club.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/can-hear-the-axe-being-sharpened-these-fulham-fans-are-ready-for-a-change-following-brentford-defeat/

[WhiteJC]

Report: Fulham demand record fee for Liverpool's Harvey Elliott during tribunal

Harvey Elliott has already made his Liverpool debut.

Fulham are holding out for a record fee as the Harvey Elliott case goes to court.

According to The Sun, Fulham want £7m from Liverpool for Elliott. The teenager moved from Fulham to Liverpool in the summer but the London club are owed compensation for him.

Fulham have developed Elliott, who left at the end of his contract at Craven Cottage. Because he is under the age of 23, Liverpool have to pay a compensation fee to Fulham, despite signing him on a free transfer.

Liverpool and Fulham were unable to agree on a compensation package between the two clubs. As a result, this case has gone to a tribunal to determine how much Liverpool should pay Fulham.

The case is being assessed by the Professional Football Compensation Committee at the moment. They will make their decision soon but Fulham have demanded £7m. This would be a record transfer fee for a case settled by a tribunal.

TBR's view

The reason why Liverpool and Fulham haven't been able to compromise on this compensation fee is due to the major demands. It makes sense for Fulham to demand a significant fee, given just how talented Elliott is.

If he fulfils his potential, the 16-year-old will be worth well in excess of £7m. Having already played for the first-team, Elliott is on the right track.



https://tbrfootball.com/report-fulham-demand-record-fee-for-liverpools-harvey-elliott-during-tribunal/

[WhiteJC]

Time For Fulham To Finally Show Brentford Respect After Yet Another West London Derby Defeat?

The Match

The days of Fulham fans belittling Brentford surely must be over.

Not that it bothers us. But it's a bit embarrassing when we keep churning out results like this weekend.

For years, a number of Fulham fans (not all I hasten to point out) have put the claim in that the Brentford match means nothing to them. Despite them constantly talking about us.

In a recent interview with the excellent (it has to be said) Fulhamish podcast, non-vertically-challenged Pointless host Richard Osman very peculiarly talked about the 'made up rivalry' between Brentford and Fulham and the fact that 'Bees Up Fulham Down' was a Brentford fan fabrication.

How he came to the conclusion that a set of football fans were able to orchestrate one team's promotion from Division One (Bees up) and another team's relegation from the Premier League (Fulham down) in the same year is beyond me it has to be said.

Any fan who says that must have either started supporting Fulham in The Premier League days (me thinks the may be you dear Richard) or has conveniently airbrushed the history between the two clubs from their memory banks.

O'Sullivan scoring the only goal at Griffin Park in 1981 as Fulham won a fiery West London derby on their way to promotion to Division Three. The whole of the right had side of the old Brentford Royal Oak home end was over-run with Fulham fans a good half an hour before the match with no Brentford fans in sight other than me and my two mates. The terraces were unusually empty for such a big match other than these outsiders and we were confused. No familiar faces.

Needless to say we were targeted. My best mate (who still goes. He's the CEO of an international company now) was was being goaded by the Fulham fans for having a soul boy wedge and wearing kickers. He was subsequently thrown out by the police who deemed it the easier option than dealing with hundreds and hundreds of infiltrators. Then when the teams came out at 2.55pm, hundreds (maybe even thousands. No idea ... but it was a lot) of Brentford fans appeared out of the blue to send the Fulham fans packing. I was at school at the time. And this is not a glorification. But merely reporting what was my very first memory of a Fulham match

The days of Leroy Roseinor and Gordon Davies and Kenny 'Chomp' Achampong battling against the likes of Graham Wilkins, Danis Salman, Alan Whitehead and Ron Chopper Harris.

Marcus Gayle. Gary Blissett, Simon Ratcliffe and Dean Holdsworth scoring in 1992 at a wet Griffin Park as Brentford thumped Fulham 4-0 on their way to the Division Three Championship.

Then there was Gary Blissett v Jim Stannard.

Jimmy Hill

Wilf Rostron scoring in a 1-0 victory at Craven Cottage to see Bees fans go potty.

The Auto Windscreens Shield trophy match in Nov 1995 when Fulham (who had dropped to Division Three at the time) fans had literally found out (that day) that Al Fayed was going to invest in the club. Singing "We're in the money" they came down to Griffin Park in their droves – selling out the away end – and causing a 'few problems' as their fans overspilled into the home end section of the New Road.

The list of games goes on and on

Fulham v Brentford has always been 'lively to say the least.

Then Fulham get promoted to the Premier League and some fans tried to airbrush that period in history out of their memory banks.

Well this weekend, we have a new incarnation of "Bees Up Fulham Down" that Mr Osman would probably prefer to also remain a figment of our fabrication.

Except it's not.

Bees beat their West London rivals 1-0 at Griffin Park to leapfrog them in the league.

Hence 'Bees Up' and 'Fulham Down'

Do you get it now Richard?

The Brentford players certainly get it – with Peter Gilham no doubt giving them the history in the pre-match team talk.

Before the season started, all the pundits predicted Fulham's 'unbelievable' side to make an immediate return to The Championship.

With Aleksandar Mitrović leading their attack and an array of experienced, well paid players, Fulham's return to 'the promised land' was a no brainer.

Apparently

But based on their performance today, maybe Fulham need that fire in their bellies fuelled by a a Fulham fan who understands the history (that rules you out Pointless Richard) to be invited into their dressing room before the match to tell the team as it is.

Truth be known, there was really only one team that was going to take all three points on Saturday once Bryan Mbeumo hit the back of the net in the 23rd-minute. The Bees were completely dominant for the vast majority of the match and really should have won by more

Ollie Watkins totally kippered ex Bee Alfie Mawson before laying the ball off to Said Benrahma. The Algerian magician chipped the ball to Mbeumo who beautifully volleyed home at the back post

Fulham had keeper Marek Rodak to thank as a he pulled off a string of saves to keep Fulham in the game as their defence struggled to cope with the pace and creativity of the Brentford attack.

Other than Neeskens Kebano hitting the post in the 12th minute and a Bobby Reid header in the last 10 minutes of the game, Fulham rarely troubled The Bees.

Watkins almost made it two – smacking the ball against the post after being set up by Mbuemo who had stolen the ball from a lumbering Alfie Mawson.

Pontus Jansson – who had Mitrovic in his pocket all match not giving him a sniff on goal – also hit the post with a header from a Jensen cross.

In the second half, Fulham tried a come back with a semi-purple match. But they never really threatened.

Bees always looked deadly on the break. Fulham were guilty of constantly losing possession in Brentford's half which prompted The Bees to swarm up the pitch playing rapid one-touch one-pass football – turning defence into attack.

Bees hit the post again as Rodak palmed Jensen's shot against the woodwork before watching it dribble across the goal line to safety.

At the final whistle, the (quote) "sh!thole" (as disrespectfully described by the guys on Fulham Focus podcast) Griffin Park was jumping as Bees fans sang "Fulham get battered. Everywhere they go"

It may have been just one goal

But it was the most enormous one-goal battering as the Bees dominated in every area.

And as the Fulham fans whinged about having to come to Brentford's "sh!thole", the reality must have struck home that was possibly the their last opportunity to ever win at Griffin Park.

And they fluffed it.

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank described the victory as "One of the best" since he took over the reigns at Griffin Park.

He was delighted that the Bees had got a result – acknowledging that Fulham were no push-overs –

"Against a top side that played, I must say, earlier in the season some of the best football in this division, [I'm pleased] how we today outplayed them but most importantly outran them"



And it was the fact that every Brentford player fought for every ball – as Bees fans purred about on the post-match podcast (link above). And ran the length and breadth of the pitch. That made this victory even more enjoyable.

One minute Rico Henry was on the left. Then sprinted over and was on the right. Then he was up the top of the pitch. And then he was in defence.

Jenssen put himself about like a proper trojan. Yes he loves a flick and a bit of showboating. But he has also learned over the last few weeks, that 'baller business' has to marry with putting in a proper shift. And he did just that.

Ollie Watkins was a constant threat – that audacious flick and close control when yet another perfectly-targeted cross-field ball landed at his feet.

Benrahma just took the p!ss – a constant thorn in Fulham's side.

Mokotjo proved his detractors wrong after an indifferent start to the season – holding things together in midfield like The General of old.  Kamo came in for Christian Nørgaard after the Danish midfielder hobbled off against Cardiff and was subsequently dropped to the bench.

Josh Dasilva on another day would have had at least two goals. His ability to sound the goal out despite bring crowded out by defenders on the edge of the area is somewhat astonishing.

Attack we were unbelievable – despite not scoring more – but it would be rude not to give props to the defence.

David Raya – majestic at the back playing the ball out like an accomplished full back (albeit with a few heart-fluttering moments).

Dalsgaard was playing like a man possessed. Dominant. And deadly.

And with Pontus Jansson and Ethan Pinnock quite literally sweeping up everything that fell in their path in proper eco-style, Bees fans were right to feel comfortable that we would not concede despite history telling us to always fear the worst.

All in all, an incredibly accomplished performance. And as we come up to the half way point in the season, we really now have something to build on

Stats

Fulham shaded it on the possession front (52.6% to 47.4%) with Brentford happy to give up possession, maintain a resolute defence and hit their rivals on the break.

If you break down the shot data even further, Fulham's two shots on target went towards their total xG of 0.77.

The Bobby Reid chance was their best chance of the match with 43% (xG 0.43) of chances from similar positions historically scoring. And Kebano's shot that hit the post only having 4% (xG 0.04) of similar chances rippling the back of the net.

In comparison, Brentford with a healthy xG of 2.69 had three big chances – reflecting the fact that they should have got at least one if not two more goals out of that match – and a number of 'lesser' chances to increase their tally.

The Bryan Mbuemo goal – 54% (xG 0.54) of similar chances found themselves hitting the back of the net. Ollie Watkins maybe should have done better in the 29th minute – 69% of similar chances hitting the back of the net (0.69). The other big chance came from the Josh Dasilva rebound in the 29th minute – 56% of those chances have historically been found to be scoring chances (xG 0.56).

Summary

So where do we go from here?

Well the world is currently our oyster.

Currently up to 4th place with a mouth-watering tie against 1st placed West Brom on the horizon, this Brentford team is only just warming up.

Our early season inconsistency was put down to players not gelling and understanding the patterns of play. It looks as if we are starting to put those days behind us

Ironically, Brian Mbuemo's 8th goal makes him the second highest goalscorer in England's top four tiers aged 20 or under – only to be pipped to the first place by Brentford's own Marcus Forss.

And with the prospect of one or two of Marcus Forss (11 goals for AFC Wimbledon), Emiliano Marcondes (2 goals for top of the league FC Midtjylland) and Halil Dervisoglu (4 goals for mid-table Sparta Rotterdam) coming home in in January – plus maybe one or two additional signings to strengthen the squad, we are in for an exciting new year.

So the future is looking bright

As for Fulham.

The match is over. I've got a load of Fulham mates. I think Fulham have some great players.  I even tipped them for promotion a couple of seasons ago.

By and large, the matches between the two teams have always been enthralling. With all the dross being served up, football needs your Brentford v Fulhams. So please take this as less as a dig. And more as a wake up call.

Brentford has done it's talking on the pitch now year in and year out.

The fact is – Fulham have beaten Brentford only ONCE in the league in the last nine matches with Brentford winning five of those.

In fact from the 1992 Championship-winning season in 1992 to now, Fulham have only beaten Brentford three times in the league with Brentford winning eight of those fifteen  matches.

I would say, no matter what Division Fulham may have temporarily found themselves in, we've been more than a match for our West London rivals over the years.

So let's park this 'irrelevant' nonsense.

And maybe .. just maybe ... if Fulham are to have any chance of getting anything out of any future matches between our two sides, they should – and hopefully will – start to take us a little more seriously next time they play us and maybe pay a little .... just a little bit more respect

Billy Grant
@BillyTheBee99



https://beesotted.com/brentford-fulham-respect-report-dec19/

[WhiteJC]

Cottage Talk Post Match Show: Brentford vs. Fulham

Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham.

Listen to Max Cohen, Yannis Tjanetis, and making his debut David Thompson analyze this horrible 1-0 loss for Fulham against Brentford. Also, at the end of the episode you will hear a discussion on Fulham head coach Scott Parker.


Lastly, you can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2019/12/15/21022822/cottage-talk-post-match-show-brentford-vs-fulham

[WhiteJC]

'The worst defender we've had in years' – Plenty of Fulham fans react to key player's poor performance

Fulham were left licking their wounds after their third defeat in as many matches as they lost at Brentford on Saturday.

The Cottagers are on a poor run of form and the pressure is mounting on Scott Parker as he looks to try and prove that he is the right man to take them forward in the long-term.

Fulham's next fixture at home to Leeds is a massive match looking ahead to the Christmas games, and Parker will hope to find a victory to close the gap on their promotion rivals in the Championship.

One player who has come in for particular criticism is centre-back Alfie Mawson. The defender hasn't looked at his best in recent appearances and calls have been made to drop the player after the last few fixtures.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-worst-defender-weve-had-in-years-plenty-of-fulham-fans-react-to-key-players-poor-performance/

[WhiteJC]

Five Thoughts: Brentford 1-0 Fulham

Griffin Park is a dive, but it's a jumble sale of a stadium that we just love to lose at. West London isn't ours anymore, I'm afraid. Scott Parker's Fulham fell to their third straight defeat and the wheels have well and truly fallen off. We were diabolical, that's my quick take and it'll only lead to a longer explanation and inquest.

Brentford had the bit between their teeth and made a mockery of the Whites' lacklustre set-up and strategy. The Bees are still irrelevant and characteristically tinpot, but they have the bragging rights and I'm sure it'll look splendid in their brimming trophy cabinet. No matter what happens from here, we'll still live rent free in their heads and I'd still rather be a "posh toff" than scumbag.

Are we gaining promotion under Parker? I'm not quite sure we can. There's no fire and fight in the camp when we're trailing games and if you want to pit yourselves against the very best next term, to right some atrocious wrongs, we need a change of attitude and a drastic reality check. We're 14 points off West Brom and 12 off Leeds United. Incidentally, Marcelo Bielsa's squad lurk in the shadows, licking their lips at the prospect of worsening Fulham's plight before Christmas. This is last chance saloon.

Toothless Team Toil
It may not be a Merseyside derby or a pulsating El Clasico, but Fulham's clash with Brentford still meant a great deal to everyone affiliated with both clubs. It's a west-London showdown, an encounter which usually brings high-octane, last-ditch, enthralling football. But only one squad were prepared to leave everything on the pitch. It pains me to say it but to their credit, Brentford were tenacious, tightfisted and superior in every conceivable element. In games such as that, a team requires a mettle, an alternative solution but we don't have a resolve or an extra gear. We're either remarkable or rotten and for the third game running, we were force fed the latter.

Fulham, as they do so well, shuffled possession aimlessly from left to right without compromising the Bees' stubborn shape and with that, the hosts settled into the tempo the Whites had set, pressing us relentlessly. Constructing from the back proved to be a laborious task for the Whites and long, futile clearances floated back into Brentford's clasp. Buoyant and spurred by the visitors' tentativeness, the hosts' yanked Fulham into vulnerable positions through Josh Dasilva and Kamohelo Mokotjo, who provided a springboard for their offensive counterparts to pounce from. Fulham couldn't cope with Brentford's willingness on the break and Thomas Frank's men, to be frank, could have stroked home at least six goals. Swinging from the gallows, basically half dead, everything about our discipline and fortitude at the back was fraudulent and we got exactly what we deserved.

No urgency, no desire, no teeth. Brentford would have been kicking themselves in the dressing room after the final whistle. They missed the chance to drub their rivals by a detrimental margin and the fact we only lost by 1 solitary goal was priceless and laughable. We were spineless, we were pedestrian, we were predictable, uncertain and farcical. Tom Cairney is being suppressed in a deeper position and why, why would you drag Stefan Johansen off, Anthony Knockaert self-centred orientation is a downright hindrance and why, why would you drag off Stefan Johansen when you've got actual donkeys like Joshua Onomah lumbering around like a bloke that's just run a marathon in 10 minutes? Parker, this is all on you this time.

Alfie Aggravates Again
Alfie Mawson has to take his criticisms constructively. I worry for him because he's subjected to a barrage of berating groans, grunts and growls with each and every move he makes but to be completely honest, the berating barrage of abuse that gets pelted at him is fully justified. I've confidence in his underlying ability but as it stands, given his constant string of atrocious outings, he's such a burden to our defence, and we're already fragile enough at the back as it is.

Soft passes, disturbingly heavy, uncertain touches, the 25-year-old is only a danger to himself, but that pulls everyone down to his shaky level. It can't fill you with optimism lining up beside him. It's like he's playing under an extreme dosage of horse tranquilliser, I've honestly never seen someone move in such a way. He's just like a helpless lump of driftwood, floating despondently towards raging rapids, and there's not a lifeline in sight.

For a man built like the Titanic, he also harbours the same crippling defects, too. He sinks under the slightest of pressures and is seemingly made of substandard materials. Ollie Watkins is at least 2ft shorter than Mawson but the makeshift striker buckled our deceptive centre-half in the build up to their goal and I can't fathom how that happened. It defies logic, that is exactly where Mawson should be at his strongest but he folded like your granddad's favourite deckchair after a long day of slurping John Smith's at the allotment. He is the weakest link and he's worth so much more than that. In excess of £20m, in fact.

Creation Criminally Condemned
Let's put this into figures. I'm not a stats buff, but 11 shots compared to Brentford's 23, with just two on target, isn't the best of ratios going, not for a club that were 3rd before kick-off. StefJo and TC are arguably two of the best midfield catalysts in the Championship but even with those two on the pitch, the disheartening lack of invention in the final third is a massive red flag. Brentford's back line were sturdy and resolute but we didn't test them enough at all and we were culprit to overcooking our offensive phases, yet again. With nothing to offer in terms of creation, even Cyrus Christie felt inclined to bail us out from range. There was venom behind the right-back's strike but come on, that can't become a regular feature. Make it up as you go along and hopefully it'll work out for the best – the opening sentence in Parker's amended training notes, that.

Henrik Dalsgaard and Rico Henry spent more time charging up the channels than they did in retreat, simply because we didn't get at them, we didn't ask questions of their defensive tendencies and when you've Ivan Cavaleiro and Knockaert at your disposal, that's criminal. They're supposed to strike fear into defenders, make them wish that they were never born but in all honesty, I've been grossly underwhelmed by the pair of them this season. Cav', blessed with raw power, was shadowed manfully by Rico and when Knockaert made his 69th-minute for Kebano, the temperamental Frenchman was tunnel visioned as per. He did provide a deft cross that sailed just over an airborne Bobby De Cordova-Reid, but other than that he was an out of tune one man band.

Aleksandar Mitrovic was kept under lock and key by Pontus Jansson and Ethan Pinnock, but that's purely because the Serbian striker was stranded in the final third. This is happening far too often. Onomah isn't a playmaker, so don't let his dubious 'assist' against Swansea City pull the wool over your eyes. Onomah and Mitro' are out of sync with no connection and the only thing that'll resurrect that default is a system update. George Singer's statistical analysis suggests that Onomah spread the most passes but for what? He's not dynamic and his passes weren't profitable. TC and Mitro' operate telepathically, they're a match made in heaven, so if you're so desperate to entrust Onomah, Scotty, TC has to pull strings behind our famished predator. Do it, swap them around because former Tottenham Hotspur hotshot has the impact of damp sponge in the final third.

Bryan Burns Bryan
Bryan on Bryan conflict. That's what happened at Griffin Park. Brentford's Bryan Mbuemo sized up our very own Joe Bryan and made our versed, dependable left-back an inferior presence. On the opposite flank, Said Benrahma had Christie spread on toast but then again, it is Christie. Bryan is usually such a beneficial component within our set-up but he was constricted by Mbuemo's inexhaustible efforts. Of course, a fullback's primary responsibility is to defend, but with Bryan we're also dependent on his overlapping runs and production, even more so than his core defensive obligations.

Positioning has always been an Achilles heal for Bryan and the 26-year-old allowed the France U21 international to build up a head of steam. He was nowhere near tight enough to Mbuemo and once the 20-year-old opened his stride, Bryan was in a world of poo. Thrusting into Mbuemo in the 12th minute, incurring a yellow card in the process, Bryan's afternoon was dangling by a thread. One more ill-timed lunge would mean marching orders and that gift wrapped the advantage to Mbuemo with 78 minutes to go. It doesn't happen very often, but Bryan was vastly subservient against his fledgling oppressor.

As previously mentioned, Bryan is a fertile productive tool with the ball at his feet and he's much more effective going forward, but we didn't see that typical endeavour of his against Brentford. With just 1 registered cross to his name, it's clear that Bryan wasn't concentrating on his attacking game because he physically wasn't able to. I don't think Bryan had a terrible game, not entirely, but he made a rod for his own back by giving Mbuemo far too much time and space. Perhaps we'll put it down to complacency, although if he didn't know it already, there's no easy rides in the Championship, no matter how experienced and credible you are in your profession.

Neeskens Now Necessary
A start is all Neeskens Kebano deserved following his two outstanding substitute appearances and I'll have him back on the 2pm team sheet on Saturday as well. Staying true to himself, Kebano approached the game with an enthusiasm and was our brightest representative on the day. How he only got 69 minutes, we'll never know because he wanted to make things happen, he wanted to hurt Brentford in their shack of a stadium and now he's also ahead of Knockaert in the pecking order in my estimation for sure.

Knocking the ball out of his feet, the 27-year-old had Dalsgaard scuttling and with a swift dip of the shoulder, the versatile attacker clapped the base of David Reya's post in the 10th minute. That was the only time Fulham actually looked like scoring. Kebano chaperoned possession neatly, weaving away from oncoming trouble and distributing sensibly, but his efforts were ultimately in vain. Nothing was sticking up top and whilst the DR Congo international scoured for an opening, Brentford regrouped to deny the Whites. In the face of adversity, though, his application remained progressive and his morale didn't dip once.

A positive performer in a sub-par squad, Kebano has risen from the ashes and redeemed himself to Fulham's faithful, who'd forgotten that he'd even existed. Where others have floundered, the Paris Saint-Germain graduate has impressed and he looks right at home along the left flank. A goal is coming for the lively attacker and as he gets more game time, I'm sure Fulham's outings will improve too. He gets his head down, he's lifts spirits and though we've lost the three games that he's featured in recently, he could spearhead a revival if he continues with the same verve and intensity. Basically, I'm telling you to turn it on against Leeds, Neeskens.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2019-12-15-five-thoughts-brentford-1-0-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Toxicity

It's been a turbulent 8 days at Fulham Football Club. We went from winning four games in a row, to losing three in a week. It's hard to take as we have dropped to sixth in the table, but really that's the least of our problems. The gap between us and Leeds and West Brom is most likely too big to claw back, meaning that the goal of automatic promotion could have already ended. We have a talented squad, but we also have a massively under achieving squad and it's hard to figure out what direction we are going in. We aren't a happy club right now.

But I really don't think it justifies the absolutely toxic atmosphere that we have created for ourselves.

What has happened to us? Some fans are on the backs of the players before they have even touched the ball. Our boys are out of form, but I don't for a second believe that the likes of Mawson and Bryan are bad players. You don't become a bad player overnight, and we have seen enough of them to know that they have a lot of quality. They aren't showing it at the minute, and that's hugely frustrating for us all.

This is second time this season that I've written a piece about the treatment of our players, and it's not even Christmas yet. This isn't about not venting your frustrations. We absolutely have that right, but quite often the sort of things that are shouted at football players throughout a match are just vile. It's not helpful to anyone and there will come a time when it impacts the players. It might have already started to.

Let's get some perspective. We have a very inexperienced manager who is trying to find his feet, yet we are still very much in the play-off scene. We are in one of the craziest leagues in the world, were results are neither predictable or consistent, and we aren't even half way through yet. While we would need a near miracle for us to achieve automatic promotion at this rate, it's not impossible. What we need to do as a fanbase is get behind the team rather than tear them apart at every opportunity.

On to Leeds for hopefully a much better performance than against Brentford.

#COYW



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/12/toxicity/

[fulhamphil]

Trawling the post match opinions from Saturday's Griffin Park derby one detail from the official media outlets (BBC on down) cannot go unchallenged. The ratings that gave Fulham more ball possession than Brentford at 47-53% is utter nonsense. Whoever is responsible for this estimation could surely not have been at Griffin Park. So outrageously incorrect was this stat the press room conducted a mini straw poll waiting for the managers to appear. The consensus was 60-40% in Brentford's favour at the very least with some leaning towards 70-30% This the view from the press and backroom staff of both camps. I shall no more fret on Fulham's inability to turn possession into goals on dark winter nights in the North if the BBC and others are repeating such wildly inaccurate misinformation. Posted just in case any non attendees may labour under the impression Fulham were in the game. FACT. We were played off the park. Brentford could have had 6.

[Neil D]

Five Thoughts: Brentford 1-0 Fulham

A positive performer in a sub-par squad, Kebano has risen from the ashes and redeemed himself to Fulham's faithful, who'd forgotten that he'd even existed. Where others have floundered, the Paris Saint-Germain graduate has impressed and he looks right at home along the left flank.


https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2019-12-15-five-thoughts-brentford-1-0-fulham/

Not many FoF posters share your assessment of Kebano - he only got 11/145 votes for Man of the Match.

[hovewhite]

Mawson Fulham were conned first off they signed a crocked CH then he was rubbish,get Hector in there and until then get Denis in alongside ream