Not being "the better team"

[wback]

In the 12 games we've played this year, I'd judge we were the "better team" (possession, control, speed of movement, options, chances created) in just four of them.

Obviously the results look totally different - of the 12, we've won 7, drawn 3, lost 2.

Do results eventually catch up with performances? Or do we have something else that means, with this team, we'll keep punching above our weight?

[COLMAN]

In the 12 games we've played this year, I'd judge we were the "better team" (possession, control, speed of movement, options, chances created) in just four of them.

Obviously the results look totally different - of the 12, we've won 7, drawn 3, lost 2.

Do results eventually catch up with performances? Or do we have something else that means, with this team, we'll keep punching above our weight?

It's team work, team spirit, organisation, and doing the odd bit of brilliance. So have we been lucky or have we deserved the points that we've picked up? I would argue that we haven't been lucky, the team work and spirit is very much a part of the game and if you have that, which we have, this more than compensates  for not looking so good with the possession etc statistics. Having said this, I was glad when the final whistle went last night, a few of our players were on their last legs.

[Twig]

We were the better team last night.

[General]

I posted something about this type of thing on another thread, but the essence of it goes - perhaps this is just the fine lines of top end PL football. I can count numerous seasons where we've done defensively well, or scored great goals, but our entire team hasn't been up to scratch. When you think about the amount of games in the league (including with the top teams) that are decided by one or 2 goals, you start to realise the league is competitive and at this level the thing that separates is the fine margins of taking your chances and blocking other teams chances.

If you think of the amount of screamers or insane individual goals that top teams have scored which have been significant, game-changing moments that have seen them go on to have success - A gerrard or scholes screamer for instance, sometimes it is genuinely a moment or two of brilliance that does see the top teams become the top teams.


For a while we were a solid, if not spectacular, mid-table PL side - we bemoaned our poor finishing and at times poor defending, but it didn't mean we weren't decent enough for the league.

This season though is different, those elements and fine lines are still there BUT the difference is we've got the quality after a particularly special summer transfer window. Leno has been brilliant, so has palhinha and Willian and Solomon have been extremely good for us, having that quality in possession and in the final third that is hard to find.

Think about the games where Man City or Liverpool or Utd, or any top team of the moment wins a game by a last minute goal, or a piece of brilliance and realise that they too rode their luck at times (which is why they lose to the southampton's of the world every now and then).

I think this is just what it takes and the extra quality is the difference, plus having quality on the bench and a versatile manager.

The players are probably happy at the club, from the stalwarts like Mitro, Cairney, Wilson, Robinson and Ream to the newer players like Solomon, Palhinha, Willian, Leno etc because they know that there's more than enough quality in the dressing room from their time at top clubs either here or elsewhere.. and we've also got a good team spirit, which counts for an extra man at times.

[toshes mate]

I have always believed since I first started watching proper adult football that managers, head coaches, call them what you will, do have a special ability when it comes to better/worse performance if given the same squad as another has.  But there is a problem with my belief in that it cannot be tested since I don't live in a parallel universe and so I really am down to belief rather than knowing or knowledge.  However, what strikes me as important is that a majority of fans enjoy the same success stories although a lesser number may say the tide has definitely turned and this team are now special.  It's just like we all know a really good player when we see them although we will still argue about the best of two or more such players in a comparative discussion. 

What struck me about Marco Silva last season was how he got the players enjoying themselves especially the goal scoring.  We saw that with Jokanovic too but it was less successful until he got a decent centre forward and left back.  Silva seems to have a surprising knack of improving stuff (even borderline player material) over a season even if there are ups and downs in form on the journey.  We are better at set pieces for example and much better at clean sheets.  There is real discussion among the players about what they do next.

And so I don't know what it is that Silva and his coaching staff have but it sure is working well at this moment in time and has done for most of the past twenty months and they sure are the better team.   

[cookieg]

Under that bloke who wore cardigans we would have collapsed in a lot of those games but we have a belief in our play now that we can get something from every game. Other than a couple of games this season we have lost by the odd goal and never looked out of place and I can really take winning ugly at times as this is what good teams do.

[gang]

The better team is the one that scores the most goals.

[wback]

The better team is the one that scores the most goals.

That's why the phrase is "in quotes".

[ffcthereligion]

I agree with the OP analysis. In the first half of the season I was often left thinking we were the better team and deserved more/were robbed. Bournemouth, Everton, West Ham, city. Even United and Arsenal really. But since return after WC think we've rode our luck not played particularly well and won games with moments. Last night followed that pattern. I suppose it depends how you look at it. Either that's a sign of a 'proper team' or we're just benefiting from individuals showing brilliance/being clinical in a way that most Fulham fans aren't used to