Declaring the Obvious That was highlighted at end of Window.

[FFC1987]

Marco Silva selected what he believed was his best eleven from the 'fit' squad he was left with.  He wasn't to know, any more so than Chalobah would have known, what was to happen very early in a game where the team would notably suffer from lack of experience together even if everything else went as planned.  And the cherry on the cake is the only people who could have predicted what happened yesterday would either be gods or a part of some massive and complex conspiracy which is so good nobody sees the subtle evidence of what is really going on.

The connection between yesterday and the transfer window is fictitious because nobody could have predicted we would have the injuries and suspensions we had, not the Khans, not the head coach, and most of all, none of us.  For sure we could/should have more depth but the fact is we do not have the versatility of central midfielders who can double up as something else.  As Silva remarked it his job to find solutions if he can and we are left with no idea what the outcome might have been had Chalobah not been sent off.   

Perhaps we may have lost even more heavily with Chalobah on the pitch since that seems the theme elsewhere on the forum and the gods smiled upon us by having him removed so early ...       

I've seen some hot takes from you before, but this one takes the cake and the cherry. If no one can predict injuries or suspensions, why do you think teams have squads exactly?

So your trying to equate someone predicting a deficiency in the squad, to yesterdays result which culminated in a player playing that most here would say is championship standard at best, (probably)costing us the game and we didn't have the squad depth to not play him, as fictitious? Based on your own frail logic, maybe the Gods gave us the weakness of our midfield squad depth to give us some adversity and test our faith.....Beer me strength.

Back in the days... football clubs had two teams - first and reserves - precisely because you cannot predict from eleven players that they will bed in together nicely, always be fit and well, and always be on best form.  Then came the subtleties of substitution and so the squads jumped up in size offering not just replacements for in game knocks and injuries but replacements for tactical (or technical) nuances.  And, of course, since we are all so brilliant at prediction, teams have their 'cost a lot but rubbish fit'.  Nobody can ever be satisfied with their lot as long as they can predict it could be better, and of course it can always be better - that is true in all competitive sport - world cup winners all the way down to toddlers' leagues.     

Sure, but can you see that we don't have the squad depth in the middle? Something not only said at the time by Silva no less, but also by posters on here that we didn't bring in? I thought it was painfully obvious before this game, let alone in it, something you seem to think is fictitious?

[toshes mate]

Marco Silva selected what he believed was his best eleven from the 'fit' squad he was left with.  He wasn't to know, any more so than Chalobah would have known, what was to happen very early in a game where the team would notably suffer from lack of experience together even if everything else went as planned.  And the cherry on the cake is the only people who could have predicted what happened yesterday would either be gods or a part of some massive and complex conspiracy which is so good nobody sees the subtle evidence of what is really going on.

The connection between yesterday and the transfer window is fictitious because nobody could have predicted we would have the injuries and suspensions we had, not the Khans, not the head coach, and most of all, none of us.  For sure we could/should have more depth but the fact is we do not have the versatility of central midfielders who can double up as something else.  As Silva remarked it his job to find solutions if he can and we are left with no idea what the outcome might have been had Chalobah not been sent off.   

Perhaps we may have lost even more heavily with Chalobah on the pitch since that seems the theme elsewhere on the forum and the gods smiled upon us by having him removed so early ...       

I've seen some hot takes from you before, but this one takes the cake and the cherry. If no one can predict injuries or suspensions, why do you think teams have squads exactly?

So your trying to equate someone predicting a deficiency in the squad, to yesterdays result which culminated in a player playing that most here would say is championship standard at best, (probably)costing us the game and we didn't have the squad depth to not play him, as fictitious? Based on your own frail logic, maybe the Gods gave us the weakness of our midfield squad depth to give us some adversity and test our faith.....Beer me strength.

Back in the days... football clubs had two teams - first and reserves - precisely because you cannot predict from eleven players that they will bed in together nicely, always be fit and well, and always be on best form.  Then came the subtleties of substitution and so the squads jumped up in size offering not just replacements for in game knocks and injuries but replacements for tactical (or technical) nuances.  And, of course, since we are all so brilliant at prediction, teams have their 'cost a lot but rubbish fit'.  Nobody can ever be satisfied with their lot as long as they can predict it could be better, and of course it can always be better - that is true in all competitive sport - world cup winners all the way down to toddlers' leagues.     

Sure, but can you see that we don't have the squad depth in the middle? Something not only said at the time by Silva no less, but also by posters on here that we didn't bring in? I thought it was painfully obvious before this game, let alone in it, something you seem to think is fictitious?

Your weaknesses in argument are too obvious and you should, if in doubt, check that you know what your fellow FoF'ers are about.   

I was one of the first people to not complain about Ream in defence in the PL, my argument being the obvious flaws in midfield which have an effect at both ends of the pitch something the eminently qualified Parker seemed to know nothing about when he sidelined Ream when midfielders were the chief cuprits for many of our goals against.  I claim no prescience but just a logical appreciation of what football is really about.  My thought process was - strengthen midfield and the defence will become better, and, as an extra bonus, we will score more goals too. 

Wanting players and getting them are two different things and nobody can predict that players will get yellow cards or red cards except when it happens - it cannot be reckoned until it happens and even then what does a coach do if one of his players is constantly being booked?  You can try the old trick of not playing them but it comes with flaws or you try to manage them.  What do you do if a player has a niggling injury which flares up every now and again?   Again don't play them and suffer the flaws or manage the problem. 

Marco Silva is trying to find solutions to our current problem because he knows the best times without injuries or suspensions may be sometime away.  He'll not be predicting anything because he is a professional ...   
 

[FFC1987]

Marco Silva selected what he believed was his best eleven from the 'fit' squad he was left with.  He wasn't to know, any more so than Chalobah would have known, what was to happen very early in a game where the team would notably suffer from lack of experience together even if everything else went as planned.  And the cherry on the cake is the only people who could have predicted what happened yesterday would either be gods or a part of some massive and complex conspiracy which is so good nobody sees the subtle evidence of what is really going on.

The connection between yesterday and the transfer window is fictitious because nobody could have predicted we would have the injuries and suspensions we had, not the Khans, not the head coach, and most of all, none of us.  For sure we could/should have more depth but the fact is we do not have the versatility of central midfielders who can double up as something else.  As Silva remarked it his job to find solutions if he can and we are left with no idea what the outcome might have been had Chalobah not been sent off.   

Perhaps we may have lost even more heavily with Chalobah on the pitch since that seems the theme elsewhere on the forum and the gods smiled upon us by having him removed so early ...       

I've seen some hot takes from you before, but this one takes the cake and the cherry. If no one can predict injuries or suspensions, why do you think teams have squads exactly?

So your trying to equate someone predicting a deficiency in the squad, to yesterdays result which culminated in a player playing that most here would say is championship standard at best, (probably)costing us the game and we didn't have the squad depth to not play him, as fictitious? Based on your own frail logic, maybe the Gods gave us the weakness of our midfield squad depth to give us some adversity and test our faith.....Beer me strength.

Back in the days... football clubs had two teams - first and reserves - precisely because you cannot predict from eleven players that they will bed in together nicely, always be fit and well, and always be on best form.  Then came the subtleties of substitution and so the squads jumped up in size offering not just replacements for in game knocks and injuries but replacements for tactical (or technical) nuances.  And, of course, since we are all so brilliant at prediction, teams have their 'cost a lot but rubbish fit'.  Nobody can ever be satisfied with their lot as long as they can predict it could be better, and of course it can always be better - that is true in all competitive sport - world cup winners all the way down to toddlers' leagues.     

Sure, but can you see that we don't have the squad depth in the middle? Something not only said at the time by Silva no less, but also by posters on here that we didn't bring in? I thought it was painfully obvious before this game, let alone in it, something you seem to think is fictitious?

Your weaknesses in argument are too obvious and you should, if in doubt, check that you know what your fellow FoF'ers are about.   

I was one of the first people to not complain about Ream in defence in the PL, my argument being the obvious flaws in midfield which have an effect at both ends of the pitch something the eminently qualified Parker seemed to know nothing about when he sidelined Ream when midfielders were the chief cuprits for many of our goals against.  I claim no prescience but just a logical appreciation of what football is really about.  My thought process was - strengthen midfield and the defence will become better, and, as an extra bonus, we will score more goals too. 

Wanting players and getting them are two different things and nobody can predict that players will get yellow cards or red cards except when it happens - it cannot be reckoned until it happens and even then what does a coach do if one of his players is constantly being booked?  You can try the old trick of not playing them but it comes with flaws or you try to manage them.  What do you do if a player has a niggling injury which flares up every now and again?   Again don't play them and suffer the flaws or manage the problem. 

Marco Silva is trying to find solutions to our current problem because he knows the best times without injuries or suspensions may be sometime away.  He'll not be predicting anything because he is a professional ...   

Someone pointed out I should hold more respect for your opinions as a poster. Its increasingly difficult when you call arguments fictitious or say things like 'Your weaknesses in argument are too obvious' rather arrogantly when on at least 3 occasions you typed a lot to say so little. I don't mind you not holding respect to my opinions. Couldn't care less. But at least try and make a coherent point. Pretending managers and directors of football don't 'predict' things like injuries and necessities to change tactics with suspensions etc. is up there with your ill thought out drivvle about randomness and injuries.

Well done for not complaining about Ream. You got that one right. In the short term anyway. His form might drastically change but its funny, as your point there actually defends my initial point here. Having a strong and steady midfield benefits the whole team. When one of our starters aren't available, it disrupts the entire team and turns a competent defence into a side conceding 4 goals at home to a struggling Newcastle side. We don't have the depth there. And we'll likely struggle whenever our usual starting 3 in that middle aren't available. A consequence to not strengthening that area.

As for 'Wanting players and getting them are two different things'. Sure, but that's what the recruiters are paid the big bucks for. It was our glaring weakness in my opinion in the window, and we're starting to see this play out. Pretending we'd get 100% appearances from Reed, Palinha and Pereria, and no one could possibly foresee injury or suspension is simple naivety.

To finish, I'll take a quote from you, wise poster, and pose it back to you.

Your weaknesses in argument are too obvious and you should, if in doubt, check that you know what your fellow FoF'ers are about.   

   

[toshes mate]

Pot, Kettle, Black, FFC 1987. 

[FFC1987]

Pot, Kettle, Black, FFC 1987.

:wine:

[Hugh Gentry]

Pot, Kettle, Black, FFC 1987.

0001.jpeg

[jayffc]

First off Jay, that wasn't true. Posters were openly ridiculed for suggesting anything other than 9/10 and calling the window incredible was deemed to be too pessimistic by a handful of posters. I think the window was good, albeit as called out at the timeC this decision either intentional or circumstantial to not being in a midfielder. I've highlighted it here to show that perhaps, this was why we felt the way we did. Can't remember who, but someone did say maybe it was Silvas decision as he believes in Chalo. Could well be true on his insistence to include and start him where possible.

Secondly, as I told you at the time, this has been posted after a loss which to my opinion, has highlighted a key weakness in our squad to which some, and some did unlike what you've said here, did say was overly cautious and pessimistic and a CM wasn't needed. This wasn't after a lovely victory where we're pretty much all happy, posting on to the board to rub a few posters in it. Very different scenarios. This post was more about suggesting we need to address it in January and it's clearly as issue, rather than pointing at specific posters as it's actually constructive. Not merely going 'we won, what ya worried about hey!' Which as I also said at the time, was too soon to really say.

The most important thing right now is how well this squad can do in October. It's a really important month and I thought a draw from this would of been a great result to be honest. Setting us up nicely for games with lots of potential points. Now. Not really sure what to expect and I'm much less confident than I was prior.

Well agree to disagree that its ultimately driven by the same thing however its dressed after a win or loss. One is justiying a previous positive opinion...so naturally would proceed a win...the other justifying a negative opinion - so naturally would proceed a loss ....I just patently disagree with the psychology behind it being much different but ya welcome to see it differently.

Anyway, I dont recall anyone ridiculing anyone for rating it less than a 9...people were saying it was wild that people were rating it a 5 and below as I remembe...we even had a 4. Perhaps 1 person said something different but not that I recall.

Anyway...its one result in a game we went down to ten men in minute 4...really think people are going overboard here in Reading too much into this.

Tete Palhinha and Robinson back and were unsuprisingly a better team. Were above Liverpool in 8th and with plenty going for us  Mitro is my main concern really, a key figure and hope he's he's not out for long...

Wilson back, Solomon to come....yeh an extra DM in Jan would be nice but plenty confident and today doesn't change that for me. One positive i hope is that it signals the end for Chalobah for me

Sure, agree to disagree. I can say with confidence that people who put a 7/10 had laugh emoji's and a small amount of ridicule and 'entitled' fans put their way on social media as well as on here. As for 'psychology behind it being much different', its literally the reverse. Coming on to post along the lines of 'hey, what were ya worried about' is far less constructive and timely, coming on to the board when everyone is pretty much happy to dampen a few peoples days, is very different to say, pointing out a clear squad deficiency on a day that deficiency was plain to see. I'm not here to take away anyone's enjoyment from a 4.1 home loss to Newcastle, there wasn't any, whereas trying to do so when people are elated with a home win to Brighton (or Brentford, I can't quite recall) shows a clearly different tact hence calling you out at the time.   

As for overboard, this is the thing for me. Posters like yourself say that, and its painting over the real issue. And it is painting over it. We just lost 4.1 at home to Newcastle, a team prior who hadn't won a game in 6 attempts prior to playing Forest. If we get an injury to Palinha or even Pereria, we are in serious trouble. Even when you get all those other injuries back fit, we simply don't have the depth in that middle which posters like myself, strongly highlighted during and post window. One of those glaringly obvious observations that just wasn't addressed.

I'm still positive as long as we remain injury free to those two players. If we do suffer an injury to them for a lengthy period of time, I'd be more confident that we get relegated without reinforcements in January than I would otherwise. It's highlighted and I hope we can agree, that the squad depth is the real issue here, not our starting 11 who for the most part, have been superb. Chalobah needs to go to championship and prove himself now and as you sayk, hopefully that's the nail in the coffin. Silva looked quite rightly royally p*ssed with that tackle even though he tried deflecting blame after the match.

Sorry this is a complete misrepresentation of the intention of the post you are referring to. In both cases it is what it is, a poster justifying a point they made earlier. Having studied human behavior for years there's little convincing me there that it's ultimately, really, anything else motivating it.

Coming on to say it seems it was, as stated, perhaps a waste of people's energy being negative all summer, isn't designed to "ruin other people's day". People might be sensitive enough to take it that way and not be able to laugh such things off and just go, "yeh fair play, might have got that wrong"- but that's not the intention there.

Further proof of that over sensitivity, saying you are confident everyone was laughing at anyone (and perhaps you feel you by sayign this) at suggesting a 7 or below is a complete fallacy...

Re-read the thread...https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?topic=87985.0

Not a single laugh emoji of the sort, loads of people saying a 7, and only me saying I find rating it a 5 astonishingly negative. That's the worst it got.
Genuinely think its worth pondering on why you recall it that way when it didnt in fact happen.

Anyway, Ill leave the thread there. I'm sure ya a decent bloke, and you try to keep the peace sometimes and mediate even if Im not always aligned with our reading of things

[FFC1987]

Jay, I added 'and on social media' in regards to the laugh emoji. I don't solely post on here and had different engagements on this subject and did say this.

Just an FYI, the link I click on takes me to this one again.

[jayffc]

Jay, I added 'and on social media' in regards to the laugh emoji. I don't solely post on here and had different engagements on this subject and did say this.

Just an FYI, the link I click on takes me to this one again.

Full backtracking, you were originally referencing the specific post about scoring the window which was on here. Not sure why the link messed up but the post is still there to see., I think personally its interesting to see how our own biases can distort our memory of events...

But no point going round on it further. Its not an honest exchange at this point

Don't wanna go down a circle here...genuinely wish ya well, hope we all enjoy the season

[FFC1987]

Jay, I added 'and on social media' in regards to the laugh emoji. I don't solely post on here and had different engagements on this subject and did say this.

Just an FYI, the link I click on takes me to this one again.

Full backtracking, you were originally referencing the specific post about scoring the window which was on here. Not sure why the link messed up but the post is still there to see., I think personally its interesting to see how our own biases can distort our memory of events...

But no point going round on it further. Its not an honest exchange at this point

Don't wanna go down a circle here...genuinely wish ya well, hope we all enjoy the season

With all due respect Jay, how is that backtracking? That was literally the exchange I had and saw from others on various social media platforms. I've always said this place is usually much milder compared to say, Twitter and Facebook though so maybe that's the distortion. Not carrying this on, but I'm not having this pretending to be a distorted version of events when it literally happened. Probably worth noting as well that the rating part actually got spread over multiple threads at that stage too. The rating part was just an example but was a consistent theme on the different social media platforms I saw. Not really sure what your angling at here though. You agree with the premise from what it looks like. Not bringing in a CM for cover is a current weakness in our squad?

[Hugh Gentry]

Jay, I added 'and on social media' in regards to the laugh emoji. I don't solely post on here and had different engagements on this subject and did say this.

Just an FYI, the link I click on takes me to this one again.

Full backtracking, you were originally referencing the specific post about scoring the window which was on here. Not sure why the link messed up but the post is still there to see., I think personally its interesting to see how our own biases can distort our memory of events...

But no point going round on it further. Its not an honest exchange at this point

Don't wanna go down a circle here...genuinely wish ya well, hope we all enjoy the season

With all due respect Jay, how is that backtracking? That was literally the exchange I had and saw from others on various social media platforms. I've always said this place is usually much milder compared to say, Twitter and Facebook though so maybe that's the distortion. Not carrying this on, but I'm not having this pretending to be a distorted version of events when it literally happened. Probably worth noting as well that the rating part actually got spread over multiple threads at that stage too. The rating part was just an example but was a consistent theme on the different social media platforms I saw. Not really sure what your angling at here though. You agree with the premise from what it looks like. Not bringing in a CM for cover is a current weakness in our squad?

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[FFC1987]

Jay, I added 'and on social media' in regards to the laugh emoji. I don't solely post on here and had different engagements on this subject and did say this.

Just an FYI, the link I click on takes me to this one again.

Full backtracking, you were originally referencing the specific post about scoring the window which was on here. Not sure why the link messed up but the post is still there to see., I think personally its interesting to see how our own biases can distort our memory of events...

But no point going round on it further. Its not an honest exchange at this point

Don't wanna go down a circle here...genuinely wish ya well, hope we all enjoy the season

With all due respect Jay, how is that backtracking? That was literally the exchange I had and saw from others on various social media platforms. I've always said this place is usually much milder compared to say, Twitter and Facebook though so maybe that's the distortion. Not carrying this on, but I'm not having this pretending to be a distorted version of events when it literally happened. Probably worth noting as well that the rating part actually got spread over multiple threads at that stage too. The rating part was just an example but was a consistent theme on the different social media platforms I saw. Not really sure what your angling at here though. You agree with the premise from what it looks like. Not bringing in a CM for cover is a current weakness in our squad?

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Hugh, this will be my last comment on this post and to you. Very rarely, do I dislike anyone on this forum but for you, I'll make a special exception and explain why. Not long ago, you reacted to a post of mine where I was commenting on Vestergard. I'd watched him a lot, had said as much and your only comment back was essentially, a snide remark about why would a Fulham fan be going to St Mary's so much. To save your blushes, and not turn the post into a pitty story,  I reached out to DM you saying it was because my father in Law, had a serious stroke, meaning he could no longer go to the games by himself. Unable to drive and too anxious to get public transport. His only son, living and working in New York wasn't able to take him again until this season, so I stepped up for 3 seasons. That was hard enough, but missing some absolute glory years at the Cottage was also difficult. I reached out to you on this, and was met with silence. Followed by quite a few petty responses to my posts on different threads from time to time including here.

Well, you win Sir. I can see I've bored you among others so I'll be taking a step back from the forum and let you get excited by other topics and threads and posters you seem fit to enlighten us with. Could easily name too many posters I usually come here to chat to, including Jay, who despite our back and forths, I do really appreciate, SoTN, Sommerset, Whitejc, Mince, Wooley, Mitro....the list can go on, some terrific posters here. Hope we stay up, keep strong and try to enjoy it  :wine:

Peace.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Marco Silva selected what he believed was his best eleven from the 'fit' squad he was left with.  He wasn't to know, any more so than Chalobah would have known, what was to happen very early in a game where the team would notably suffer from lack of experience together even if everything else went as planned.  And the cherry on the cake is the only people who could have predicted what happened yesterday would either be gods or a part of some massive and complex conspiracy which is so good nobody sees the subtle evidence of what is really going on.

The connection between yesterday and the transfer window is fictitious because nobody could have predicted we would have the injuries and suspensions we had, not the Khans, not the head coach, and most of all, none of us.  For sure we could/should have more depth but the fact is we do not have the versatility of central midfielders who can double up as something else.  As Silva remarked it his job to find solutions if he can and we are left with no idea what the outcome might have been had Chalobah not been sent off.   

Perhaps we may have lost even more heavily with Chalobah on the pitch since that seems the theme elsewhere on the forum and the gods smiled upon us by having him removed so early ...       

I've seen some hot takes from you before, but this one takes the cake and the cherry. If no one can predict injuries or suspensions, why do you think teams have squads exactly?

So your trying to equate someone predicting a deficiency in the squad, to yesterdays result which culminated in a player playing that most here would say is championship standard at best, (probably)costing us the game and we didn't have the squad depth to not play him, as fictitious? Based on your own frail logic, maybe the Gods gave us the weakness of our midfield squad depth to give us some adversity and test our faith.....Beer me strength.

Back in the days... football clubs had two teams - first and reserves - precisely because you cannot predict from eleven players that they will bed in together nicely, always be fit and well, and always be on best form.  Then came the subtleties of substitution and so the squads jumped up in size offering not just replacements for in game knocks and injuries but replacements for tactical (or technical) nuances.  And, of course, since we are all so brilliant at prediction, teams have their 'cost a lot but rubbish fit'.  Nobody can ever be satisfied with their lot as long as they can predict it could be better, and of course it can always be better - that is true in all competitive sport - world cup winners all the way down to toddlers' leagues.     

Sure, but can you see that we don't have the squad depth in the middle? Something not only said at the time by Silva no less, but also by posters on here that we didn't bring in? I thought it was painfully obvious before this game, let alone in it, something you seem to think is fictitious?

Your weaknesses in argument are too obvious and you should, if in doubt, check that you know what your fellow FoF'ers are about.   

I was one of the first people to not complain about Ream in defence in the PL, my argument being the obvious flaws in midfield which have an effect at both ends of the pitch something the eminently qualified Parker seemed to know nothing about when he sidelined Ream when midfielders were the chief cuprits for many of our goals against.  I claim no prescience but just a logical appreciation of what football is really about.  My thought process was - strengthen midfield and the defence will become better, and, as an extra bonus, we will score more goals too. 

Wanting players and getting them are two different things and nobody can predict that players will get yellow cards or red cards except when it happens - it cannot be reckoned until it happens and even then what does a coach do if one of his players is constantly being booked?  You can try the old trick of not playing them but it comes with flaws or you try to manage them.  What do you do if a player has a niggling injury which flares up every now and again?   Again don't play them and suffer the flaws or manage the problem. 

Marco Silva is trying to find solutions to our current problem because he knows the best times without injuries or suspensions may be sometime away.  He'll not be predicting anything because he is a professional ...   

Someone pointed out I should hold more respect for your opinions as a poster. Its increasingly difficult when you call arguments fictitious or say things like 'Your weaknesses in argument are too obvious' rather arrogantly when on at least 3 occasions you typed a lot to say so little. I don't mind you not holding respect to my opinions. Couldn't care less. But at least try and make a coherent point. Pretending managers and directors of football don't 'predict' things like injuries and necessities to change tactics with suspensions etc. is up there with your ill thought out drivvle about randomness and injuries.

Well done for not complaining about Ream. You got that one right. In the short term anyway. His form might drastically change but its funny, as your point there actually defends my initial point here. Having a strong and steady midfield benefits the whole team. When one of our starters aren't available, it disrupts the entire team and turns a competent defence into a side conceding 4 goals at home to a struggling Newcastle side. We don't have the depth there. And we'll likely struggle whenever our usual starting 3 in that middle aren't available. A consequence to not strengthening that area.

As for 'Wanting players and getting them are two different things'. Sure, but that's what the recruiters are paid the big bucks for. It was our glaring weakness in my opinion in the window, and we're starting to see this play out. Pretending we'd get 100% appearances from Reed, Palinha and Pereria, and no one could possibly foresee injury or suspension is simple naivety.

To finish, I'll take a quote from you, wise poster, and pose it back to you.

Your weaknesses in argument are too obvious and you should, if in doubt, check that you know what your fellow FoF'ers are about.   

   

Gents,
In your own subtle ways you both make very good salient points and they are rational, and i find myself agreeing with both of you on certain points.
It was a healthy and intelligent and absorbing debate.
Human nature being what it is, if we had won Saturday our conversations would have been so much different.
it hurts to lose and the pain is worse when we lose badly, because it does sow seeds of doubt in our minds whether the squad is good enough in adversity and whether the right players were selected and why other players did not start.
That is a normal reaction and questions will be asked amongst others issues about recruitment.

That is why that old chestnut one game at a time is so important, who would have anticipated and predicted that a Fulham player would be sent off in the first 6 minutes and for the rest of the match failed to handle the situation well enough to prevent Newcastle taking the spoils, that is football, and there is question marks against the manager's selection of the starting line up as well as his game management, that is normal healthy and acceptable, nobody is perfect apart from a few gorgeous women i have met in the past.
Nevertheless predictions may seem to be harmless fun, but they are an unnecessary irritant that is useless and unhelpful.
one week at a time and because anything can happen to influence the game.
But it is in adversity like what happened Saturday that must be used as a strength in the next match.
Fulham must overcome their troubles caused by Saturdays events and move on to the next challenge.

I enjoyed your debate and i always find both your posts intelligent rational observations served by a very good command of the English language.
Keep them coming.

[Somerset Fulham]

Woolly is right lads.

No need to step back '87, being as prominent as you are you will always attract responses both good and bad.  Just ignore the bad and crack on.

[Logicalman]

I would suggest both the two posters take on board Woolly & Somersets advice, before the Mods feel the need to step in and stop it.

We all appreciate the value you each bring to forum with your wisdom and thoughts regarding Fulham FC in particular, and footie in general, and you can both use the block feature to avoid seeing (and hopefully responding to) each others posts, but personal spats on the forum, and this is getting very personal, are not allowed to hijack threads. If you wish to carry on the spat then PM each other and please keep it out of the public domain.

[Cobh Fulham Fan]

Feck, for a minute there I thought it was going to penalties between you.  064.gif