Not sure I'm a fan of ..............

[Fernhurst]

Just to clarify, absolutely delighted we won and now have 7 of the last 9 points available.
If we could have found a way of putting daylight between us and our opponents in the first half then a dirge of a second half may just have been tolerated.
The second half performance was not only awful but also not in the spirit of the game Fulham are known for.
IMHO we may hang on to third but have no chance of the top two.

[Matt10]

As I've said other places. We're fixated on this mentality of it's not that we win, but it's how we win. That is very much a catalyst to the saying of damned if you do, damned if you don't. No wonder the place can be so hot and cold.

I'm going to wait for the 90mins to go up on the site, but does anyone have any specific instances that made the 2nd half so bad? Is it considered that the Stoke changes were to "blame" as well?

[Asotosyios]

I don't think there is a fixation or agenda. Some people only care about the results - others care about the performance as well. That doesn't mean that we expect 90 minutes of "total football", but we would like to see the team to (try to) attack and create chances - I don't think this is too much to ask.

No one will feel disappointed or not be happy after a win - we are all Fulham fans and want Fulham to win every game. However, we can't pretend that everything is perfect just because we won (similarly, not everything is wrong when we lose).

[RaySmith]

Stoke were a lot better in the second half, partly to do with their changes, and forced us on o the back foot. We did well to deal with all their pressure, including an aria bombardment,  the kind of thing which has been the undoing of us in the past.

To win, gain three points, is the object of the game, and no-one remembers losers, no matter how  classy their style of play.  All the top teams can grind out results when they need to.

As a comparison  as a competitive cycling nation, Britain was a laughing stock, never won anything, just one or two stage winners, but then the Sky team was  formed under Dave Brailsford, with his policy of 'marginal  gains' and we  won successive Tours de France, and other major races. A British team became  dominant in the sport.

But Sky have been criticised or being boring, mechanical, ultra organised, and lacking 'panache' - which is a French term for  a stylish cyclist who  never actually wins anything, a heroic loser - the French haven't won their own national Tour for  years.

But now we have become used to seeing British riders winning the famous yellow jersey, and surely that is the object of pro sport - to win.

All the top  football teams and players  have steel at their heart, and a strong work ethic, based around strict training, and sound defending.
Play pretty football and lose all the time, and noone will remember you, and your own fans will not be at all pleased either.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Stoke were a lot better in the second half, partly to do with their changes, and forced us on o the back foot. We did well to deal with all their pressure, including an aria bombardment,  the kind of thing which has been the undoing of us in the past.

To win, gain three points, is the object of the game, and no-one remembers losers, no matter how  classy their style of play.  All the top teams can grind out results when they need to.

As a comparison  as a competitive cycling nation, Britain was a laughing stock, never won anything, just one or two stage winners, but then the Sky team was  formed under Dave Brailsford, with his policy of 'marginal  gains' and we  won successive Tours de France, and other major races. A British team became  dominant in the sport.

But Sky have been criticised or being boring, mechanical, ultra organised, and lacking 'panache' - which is a French term for  a stylish cyclist who  never actually wins anything, a heroic loser - the French haven't won their own national Tour for  years.

But now we have become used to seeing British riders winning the famous yellow jersey, and surely that is the object of pro sport - to win.

All the top  football teams and players  have steel at their heart, and a strong work ethic, based around strict training, and sound defending.
Play pretty football and lose all the time, and noone will remember you, and your own fans will not be at all pleased either.

I could not have put it better myself Ray. You make some very salient points that are extremely relevant and to the point which says it all really.
We have accrued 38 points in the first 23 matches, and 4 points so far in the first 2 of the next 23. We have to ensure we have a slightly more productive last 23 to guarantee a top 6 I would have thought, and shake off any other teams coming up on the rails, as no doubt there will be. We are more than capable of achieving that target, and we are still one of a small minority of teams that can grab an automatic place if we can have the rub of the green also as well as a couple of quality defenders to reinforce our ambitions, that could be paramount by the time April comes round.

[Matt10]

I don't think there is a fixation or agenda. Some people only care about the results - others care about the performance as well. That doesn't mean that we expect 90 minutes of "total football", but we would like to see the team to (try to) attack and create chances - I don't think this is too much to ask.

No one will feel disappointed or not be happy after a win - we are all Fulham fans and want Fulham to win every game. However, we can't pretend that everything is perfect just because we won (similarly, not everything is wrong when we lose).

That's what I'm saying though. We criticize how we do things, but then when we do the opposite of those things, someone criticizes it. Hence, the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" mentality. We played out of the back once or twice, one of those times leading to our goal. Anyone mentions it? Nope. However, if we conceded from it - it'd take up page 1 of this forum.

I think there has been an increase in well-minded posters, but there have been just as much of those who love to generalize our playstyle, players and managers, and cannot give credit where it is due - or even provide contextual arguments as to why we do what we do.

[bog]

Scoring one goal and hanging on for the remainder of the game. Is this our elusive  plan B ?

I share your concerns Fernhurst. We are not exactly top drawer defensively.  :022: