Pitch

[70sPimlico]

My initial reaction was that we didnt play that well generally. I can't quite explain but the run of the ball seemed different. I saw it was heavily watered but the ball was running really fast and it just seemed to effect our whole play. Dodgy first touches, first time passes going astray.

It really seemed like a surface we were very uncomfortable on.

Sort of game that I'd have been happy with a draw and just say move on and glad we don't play there and them every week...but somehow we've won 4-1.

Fantastic

[Woolly Mammoth]

That's how I saw it, if we had won 1 0, I would be saying we ground out a 0 1 away win, but we ended up in grinding out a 1 4 away win and we cannot ask any more than that. Our pace on the break caused them problems. But now you mentioned the pitch it did seem a sticky surface to perhaps favour Brum and disrupt our system of play. .

[Somerset Fulham]

Another in agreement here, it was an odd game that really could have been any score. I thought we were dreadful first half and a lot of that seemed to be because the lads couldn't stand up or gauge a pass.

This changed in the second half, I guess that Fulham changed their boots or something!

[Sgt Fulham]

A nervy 1-4 win, but I think we're giving them too much credit. You don't win by 3 goals by luck.

[AJW48361]

Would've took 2 draws from Blackpool & Blues. So contented with our tally after tonight

[MikeCdawg]

I noticed a few players losing their footing during the game. You could be right

[Fulhamboy1111]

Not at our best but great result which is what counts. Pitch was awful lost count of the times we lost footing. Wilson was great again and made a difference for me. Roll on Reading. You Whites

[Dodgin]

I was quite nervy until the third goal went in.

[rebel]

Chalobah short passes were way too short, the ball seemed to die. We lost the ball 6/7 times just from his passes

[winterline]

seemed like it, more slips by players than usual.

[filham]

Agree with all of the above, I actually thought that Birmingham had the best of the game but we stuck at it and scored four goals.
Maybe some restriction needs to be put in place about watering pitches just before a match but we do the same at the Cottage.

[LittleErn]

Exactly as I saw it; a scrappy game. It wasn't only Charabang 🚌 that made short passes; Seri made a few as well. It was a bruiser of a game and our defence stood up to it well.  We had the edge on class up front and it gave us the win. I do wish we  would test the pitch surface before the kick-off so footwear can be chosen better. At the very least, those players who were slipping most often,(BDR comes to mind) should have been called over to the touchline to change their boots and should have had a change available.

[Craven_Chris]

I think it must have been a footwear issue, in the first, it wasnt just that they were slipping (which they were), but you could tell that when passes were not perfect, players could not adjust their run, or change direction, to meet the ball.

First half pass completion was 63%, and we are usually at 85%, dont ever remember us getting into the low 60s before (it was 88% against Blackpool)

Second half, I thought we set up quite defensively but looked much more sure of footing and didn't slip as much, pass completion for the second half was 74% which is still quite poor, but an improvement!

This was tactically a very different game for Fulham, we played deep and hit direct on the counter attack, we didnt see much in the way of overlapping fullbacks. Was this the conditions or a deliberate change in approach to match Birmingham?

[bobby01]

I guess it's home advantage,create a pitch to suit your style or stop your opponents style. My guess the later, grass a bit longer, pitch not rolled, nice and wet all aforementioned would disrupt our passing game.