Looking better and better

[Nightwind15]

Tim Howard summed Fulham up.  "They are a hard team to beat."  Loved the Tottenham match!

[Bill2]

Very true, everyone is upping their game and one of the things I see from the games is how much more quicker we are all over the pitch than we were at the start of the season.

[Nightwind15]

Exactly!  At the beginning of the season they were a bit painful to watch.  Now they have become dangerously unpredictable.

[rebel]

Exactly!  At the beginning of the season they were a bit painful to watch.  Now they have become dangerously unpredictable.

At the start of the season we had more or less different personnel.

[General]

Just very frustrating to know that we've got a very good defensive unit and don't have anyone to properly capitalise on that solid base. We should be further up the table and could've been unbeaten in 5 league games with a lot more wins (liverpool and Newcastle for example and probably brighton if we had an in form striker), but we're still in the relegation places.

We need to stay up, if we do there's a good chance we may be able to keep a lot of the players we've got at the moment.

Lemina and Areola are both loans with options for example and I think Aina is too. On top of buying Kongolo, Robinson, Tosin, Reed and having got Anguissa already, there's a core spine there we could really have a go with.

Personally I think we should be playing with Mitro up front, I'm a fan of Tete's but think he leaves us a bit more exposed than when BDR was in that role and tends to play higher up which can cause issues - their goal came from our right flank.

Then I'd replace Cavaleiro with Lookman. But we really need players who can make that final difference moreso than they're doing currently, including in midfield. Anguissa doesn't look like someone who score often. RLC I'm a fan of, but he needs to add more goals to his game - it's fine margins admittedly. Kamara should've passed a bit earlier when two on two and through, RLC should've tried to play it back to lookman I think it was when he was in on the side against Lloris.. Unfortunately it's those types of decisions we need to fall our way and make.

[sunburywhite]

And I think the players are responding well to playing for Parker

There seems a lot of love in the squad

[JimOG]

And I think the players are responding well to playing for Parker

There seems a lot of love in the squad

Amongst other things this may be Parker's greatest achievement. We saw in the early games what we feared...our Championship side was getting torn apart. Last night only Reed, Cav & Reid I think were from last year's team. The Back 5 are all new yet the team has amazing organisation...and yes a great bond. Did you catch the low level camera on Harrison Reed last night firing everyone up...great ratter which we've needed.

I also think there's respect for SP from the players simply because he doesn't pander to them. The likes of Cairney & Mitro play if they're worth their place . If not...
Last thing. Mourinho coached a youngish SP at Chelsea and in fairness rang him when he took over. But there was no master v pupil in Scott's cursory fist bump at the end. Jose had moaned & misunderstood. Parker's lack of warmth showed his anger at his former mentor. Now give him a striker or two & FFC could be on the cusp of something very good

[Denver Fulham]

RLC should've tried to play it back to lookman I think it was when he was in on the side against Lloris.

I think RLC *was* trying to cut it back for Lookman. I don't think that was an attempted chip on goal.

[Robbie]

Mitro fit ..would have scored that RLC chance yesterday.
We need a Fox In the Box.
We can't draw our way to Stay Up.

[Milo]

Not many threads around on our defence currently but has anyone else noticed how well we have played the offside trap this season?

It's virtually impeccable.

Last season at least one player would inevitably play them onside .. normally Joe Bryan (Sorry Joe!)..

[AJW48361]

Lookman is a class act! Hope I'm wrong but I don't see him signing permanently for us but he could keep us in the premier league this season how much is he worth? Frank is fantastic too and worth a fortune the only drawback I see he does he get the game by the scruff of the neck enough and win a game or two for us?

[Twig]

Not many threads around on our defence currently but has anyone else noticed how well we have played the offside trap this season?

It's virtually impeccable.

Last season at least one player would inevitably play them onside .. normally Joe Bryan (Sorry Joe!)..

Yes, I've been noticing the same. Impressive isn't it.

[bencher]

Lookman is a class act! Hope I'm wrong but I don't see him signing permanently for us but he could keep us in the premier league this season how much is he worth? Frank is fantastic too and worth a fortune the only drawback I see he does he get the game by the scruff of the neck enough and win a game or two for us?

Frank's driving run and then through ball for Lookman against Leicester must fit the bill - but he doesn't do enough of that. I want my box to box CM to score 5-6 a season as well.

[bencher]

Not many threads around on our defence currently but has anyone else noticed how well we have played the offside trap this season?

It's virtually impeccable.

Last season at least one player would inevitably play them onside .. normally Joe Bryan (Sorry Joe!)..

Yes, I've been noticing the same. Impressive isn't it.

Indeed. How many goals have now been ruled out for offside? Off the top of my head I can think of two v Southampton, one v Spurs, there were probably a few more.

[Statto]

Parker's man management is second to none, I always thought that. Perfect balance of Keegan-esque motivation and Hodgson-esque discipline.

I was unsure about his tactical nous but in a few fixtures (first half v Leeds last season, play-off final, Leicester etc) he's outsmarted some very well regarded coaches.

Also not to be understated IMO is the difference it makes to have someone at CB, Anderson, who isn't just a good defender but a real leader who organises the whole defensive unit. Massively different to recent years watching everyone from Stearman to Chambers get swallowed up and turned xrap by playing in our defence.

[b+w geezer]

balance of Keegan-esque motivation and Hodgson-esque discipline.

Chris Coleman would be another reference point. Ex-player with dressing-room charisma, but lacking that other side to management. Moreover, his buy-in wore out with some of the French guys who had never been colleagues or probably heard of him before. A child of the modern Prem, SP had multinational teammates all his main years, as well as exposure from the start to the kinds of dietary, sports science, analytical and sports psychological stuff which Arsene Wenger et al introduced. Coleman had a taste of Tigana at the end, but that's all, but Scott, Lampard, Gerrard were the first generation of players for whom all that malarkey was simply the norm. And now the first generation of managers for whom it's in the blood. Which connects also with this....

I was unsure about his tactical nous but in a few fixtures .... he's outsmarted some very well regarded coaches.

Would add only that it seems to be a team effort. When Matt Wells was interviewed, in Scott's covid absence, he was unusually specific about several aspects of prematch analysis of Southampton by the 'video analysis team', mentioning a few details above my head, clearly sourced from inhouse conversations. Similar doubtless occurs at all Prem clubs today. Scott would be the main man in such sessions here, but you'd imagine more of an interested listener to colleagues than, say, his Tottenham counterpart.

Also not to be understated IMO is the difference it makes to have someone at CB, Anderson, who isn't just a good defender but a real leader who organises the whole defensive unit. Massively different to recent years ...etc.

Another good point. Personal jury out on whether Joachim's actual defending is higher than average prem standard, but it's clearly no less -- and, as you say, with that extra key element we've not had for ages. He has a bit of the devil about him too -- witness that gratuitous shoulder barge on Weds. Don't do that in the penalty area, please, but the instinct doesn't come amiss as part of the team mix.

[Milo]

Let's hope the Coleman references stop at playing well, but drawing too many games, and then being sacked.

[b+w geezer]

Let's hope the Coleman references stop at playing well, but drawing too many games, and then being sacked.

Indeed!!   But there's already the difference (I suggest) that Scott looks set for a future in management whatever happens this season. There will by now be clubs in the Championship at least who would hire him.

And with prem survival now and then a solid second season, he'd be on the radar -- of the supporters, at any rate -- of other clubs he played at. If upwardly mobile, he might never even have to leave the capital !

But yes, some wins needed here first. If we stay hard to beat, 6 more might suffice.