A View from The Fulham perspective

[El Gwapo]

We really are crap arent we? How are we second when all we ever do is bully people? Its a shameful reflection on the Championship

Quote (and link given at bottom)

I watched the cardiff game last night.

I hope this isn't jealousy on my part, I dont think so. I have grown really fond of the championship. I've seen cardiff four times and have been so underwhelmed every time.

I'm amazed and disappointed they represent the 2nd best team in the league.

I'm involved in grass roots football and from the age of about 9 years old upwards, there are always teams that just go for big quick players and use intimidation as their key feature. By about 16, these teams stop being top of the league because other teams players grow but also have the technique at that point.
Cardiff are like the professional version of the teams.

And...these teams always have 2 or 3 coaches on the sidelines, whose sole role on matchday is to try and get in the refs head to both stop him reacting to their fouls and to give free kicks on fouls against them.

I was listening to their coaches last night on the side. You could hear them if you really listened for it. Jesus, it was exactly the same thing I have heard for years on the sidelines from these type of teams. I was in shock. Constant barrage. Clearly a tactic.

I thought Brentford were so poor. Their midfield got bullied and were anonymous and they didn't have anything up front and the defence was so weak. They reminded me of us in our first season down.

I just can't believe Derby, Wolves, Villa, Sheff U, Norwich, Forest & Hull will be so soft against them

Link http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum...?topic=64266.0

[hueypianosmith]

Has there ever been a more unpopular promotion chasing team as us, I really do not get it. We are the second best team in the championship, the league table doesnt lie. All this bullying nonsense managers keep spouting is just stupid. We are a strong physical team no doubt, but there is a lot more to our game than just physicality
.

[Croesy Blue]

I don’t think we are the prettiest team in the league but we are no where near as rough or dirty as we are being made out to be. Teams see Warnock is the manager and make a judgement before a ball has even been kicked.

[MacAdder]

We really are crap arent we? How are we second when all we ever do is bully people? Its a shameful reflection on the Championship

Quote (and link given at bottom)

I watched the cardiff game last night.

I hope this isn't jealousy on my part, I dont think so. I have grown really fond of the championship. I've seen cardiff four times and have been so underwhelmed every time.

I'm amazed and disappointed they represent the 2nd best team in the league.

I'm involved in grass roots football and from the age of about 9 years old upwards, there are always teams that just go for big quick players and use intimidation as their key feature. By about 16, these teams stop being top of the league because other teams players grow but also have the technique at that point.
Cardiff are like the professional version of the teams.

And...these teams always have 2 or 3 coaches on the sidelines, whose sole role on matchday is to try and get in the refs head to both stop him reacting to their fouls and to give free kicks on fouls against them.

I was listening to their coaches last night on the side. You could hear them if you really listened for it. Jesus, it was exactly the same thing I have heard for years on the sidelines from these type of teams. I was in shock. Constant barrage. Clearly a tactic.

I thought Brentford were so poor. Their midfield got bullied and were anonymous and they didn't have anything up front and the defence was so weak. They reminded me of us in our first season down.

I just can't believe Derby, Wolves, Villa, Sheff U, Norwich, Forest & Hull will be so soft against them

Link http://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum...?topic=64266.0

There are many who agree with him on this MB and as has been debated before... no points for artistic impression.

[qccfc]

I don't really mind that view point, if we were in Fulham's position i would imagine we would be spouting the same sort of things.

The football we play isn't glorious, it isn't what is in style these days. However we have been the best team at grinding out results, after watching the Brum game i had no confidence in getting a result at Brentford, yet the team seems to get the job done time and time again.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Looks like another bunch of supporters who think that playing pretty but pointless possession football gives you a right to be successful. Has jursset turned into a Fulham fan?

[Rjk]

Looks like another bunch of supporters who think that playing pretty but pointless possession football gives you a right to be successful. Has jursset turned into a Fulham fan?

The difference being that Fulham actually do play some fancy stuff, whereas Bristol are the biggest long ball merchants in the division.

Direct and physical football doesn't have to be boring to watch, any more than skilled, technical football has to be exciting.
Some of the great man u sides were very direct, and they were great to watch, and sometimes possession hogs can be tedious.
You can get teams of both styles that set up not to concede, and try to nick an odd goal through an individual error, which can be really dull, but I don't think that applies to us or fulham. We both look to attack and try to win games rather than settle for a draw- just we have different ways of doing it.

[Feedback]

The difference being that Fulham actually do play some fancy stuff, whereas Bristol are the biggest long ball merchants in the division.

Direct and physical football doesn't have to be boring to watch, any more than skilled, technical football has to be exciting.
Some of the great man u sides were very direct, and they were great to watch, and sometimes possession hogs can be tedious.
You can get teams of both styles that set up not to concede, and try to nick an odd goal through an individual error, which can be really dull, but I don't think that applies to us or fulham. We both look to attack and try to win games rather than settle for a draw- just we have different ways of doing it.

^^^^ this, with andy kanchelskis on one wing and giggs on the other, the mantra at united was get it out of defence quickly and get forward. when united did it, it was great counter attacking football, when we do it, it is long ball

[Harry Monk]

So, who has it right and who has it wrong?

The only "stats" that count are the goals for and against stats at the end of 90 minutes.

[Feedback]

if teams, managers and fans want to believe we are a physical side then let them think it. It means they don't give any consideration to the fact that when we cross that half way line, we can play a bit and get behind defences, with goals from all angles.

[dml1954]

He makes it sound like we should give up and let Fulham overtake us, in deference to the majestic football they play. He also totally forgets that we have already beaten Wolves, Forest, Sheffield United, Villa, Hull, Bristol City, Norwich this season. Load of sour grapes.

[Wales-Bales]

Brentford are the Championship's undisputed shot kings (650+)

Last night ..

Shots - Brentford 24 Cardiff 14

Shots on Target - Brentford 6 Cardiff 9

That tells you all you need to know.

[Rjk]

Brentford are the Championship's undisputed shot kings (650+)

Last night ..

Shots - Home 24 Away 14

Shots on Target - Home 6 Away 9

Which is why you don't just look at shots , and you look at xg or even more complicated measures instead.

[Wales-Bales]

Which is why you don't just look at shots , and you look at xg or even more complicated measures instead.

We are far more efficient at converting chances, and goals win games

[the other bob wilson]

Brentford are the Championship's undisputed shot kings (650+)

Last night ..

Shots - Brentford 24 Cardiff 14

Shots on Target - Brentford 6 Cardiff 9

That tells you all you need to know.

To be fair to Brentford, they are also top of the league for shots on target.

http://www.footstats.co.uk/index.cfm?task=league_shots

As for the Fulham fan, it's just the normal pre conditioned Warnock stuff (something I have been guilty of in the past), but the discipline stats still convey two different viewpoints - yes, we commit more fouls per game than anyone else bar Bolton,

https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/25...ship-2017-2018

but in terms of yellow and red cards, we remain among the best disciplined sides in the Championship

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/cham...wettbewerb/GB2

[the other bob wilson]

I think the current team would beat a Dave Jones team, say, seven times out of ten, because they are so much stronger mentally, but every now and again, the individual talent in the Jones team would have a day when everything would go right for them.

[Rjk]

I think the current team would beat a Dave Jones team, say, seven times out of ten, because they are so much stronger mentally, but every now and again, the individual talent in the Jones team would have a day when everything would go right for them.

Head to head you're probably right, over the course of a season I'd guess they would be fairly evenly matched.
A DJ side would be exactly the type of team that we would steamroller past with the current side, but they would probably be better equipped to deal with a really pragmatic side like PNE or Derby than we currently are

[life on mars]

Brentford are the Championship's undisputed shot kings (650+)

Last night ..

Shots - Brentford 24 Cardiff 14

Shots on Target - Brentford 6 Cardiff 9

That tells you all you need to know.

You omitted Brentford 1 - Cardiff 3

[Croesy Blue]

Which is why you don't just look at shots , and you look at xg or even more complicated measures instead.

What was the xg for last night?

[Rjk]

What was the xg for last night?

The ones I've seen had the game pretty even, although for individual games I think they exaggerate the xg of teams like Brentford as at this level there isn't the data available to model where the defenders were when the shot was taken. Shooting through an organised defence is obviously going to be harder than if you've broken through the defence, Brentford never really got behind us so should perhaps be scored Les than they seemed.
Encouraging for us is our xg was back up to where it has been for most of the season after a dip in the previous 2 games

[Eric the Half a Bee]

The difference being that Fulham actually do play some fancy stuff, whereas Bristol are the biggest long ball merchants in the division.

Direct and physical football doesn't have to be boring to watch, any more than skilled, technical football has to be exciting.
Some of the great man u sides were very direct, and they were great to watch, and sometimes possession hogs can be tedious.
You can get teams of both styles that set up not to concede, and try to nick an odd goal through an individual error, which can be really dull, but I don't think that applies to us or fulham. We both look to attack and try to win games rather than settle for a draw- just we have different ways of doing it.

Yep, agreed.

[dembethewarrior]

KDB plays a 60 yard pass forward to Sane it's not direct it's a beautiful pass..

Liverpool play a 40 yard pass to the opposite wing and it's brilliant exciting..

I'm not arsed we don't dilly dally in our own half, we get forward quick so What? We can play decent stuff in the final third.. y'know.. where it actually counts..

Brentford looked toothless once we knew what to expect.

The fact they had so many shots and can't score speaks volumes.. look at the shots on target in relation to shots for both teams.

[Tokyo Blue]

Recently I've been watching a fair amount of 90s Premiership football for pure nostalgia, and I'd forgotten how much more physical, direct and fast-paced it was. All of this modern pretty possession football is very much in fashion, but I don't know when physical and direct styles of play were outlawed.

Plus it can be tedious to watch at times. From what little I've seen of our play this season, I'd take the direct physical approach anyday, especially if it means we're second in the table.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Recently I've been watching a fair amount of 90s Premiership football for pure nostalgia, and I'd forgotten how much more physical, direct and fast-paced it was. All of this modern pretty possession football is very much in fashion, but I don't know when physical and direct styles of play were outlawed.

Plus it can be tedious to watch at times. From what little I've seen of our play this season, I'd take the direct physical approach anyday, especially if it means we're second in the table.

We were pretty direct under Dave Jones, yet we often won plaudits for our style of play.

[Rjk]

We were pretty direct under Dave Jones, yet we often won plaudits for our style of play.

At our best under DJ we could be direct but also play the ball about if we were up against a massed defence.
Our current side is better at the direct stuff but probably not as good at breaking down someone who is trying to park the bus.
We are also more robust though.