| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham 16:37 - Feb 13 with 6457 views | Antti_Heinola |
After last week, I thought and hoped that performances like this, where we fail on every level possible, were hopefully something to be left in the past. But no. Here it was again. So, here we go...
1. The Second Ball. It wasn't just the second ball. It was every fifty-fifty. Every lame, half-arsed challenge. Every shrug of the shoulders instead of standing up and fighting when losing the ball, followed by a pathetic, forlorn look at the ref (yes you, Matt Phillips). Every misplaced pass - including one from Hoilett when he failed to find Perch who was standing less than a metre from him. Every responsibility-abdicating, head-down launch of the ball forward just to get it away without even bothering to see if a QPR shirt was even within 10 yards of where the ball was going. All of it. Unforgivably crap.
But the second ball sums it up. Last week, we dominated the game and the midfield at least in part because Ipswich decided to ignore the midfield area. But it was also because of how we competed. How we won the second ball. How we were stronger, more determined in our tackling and better and more confident in possession. How a team can go from that to this inside one week is so baffling I don't even know where to start. But the first half in particular was pathetic - as bad as Fulham away and as bad as the many meek performances Redknapp gave us away from Loftus Road. Useless, rubbish, without a shred of positivity to cling to. The farce of the third goal in particular was, as some fans sang, utterly embarrassing. But the sheer number of times a loose ball dropped and Fulham were first to it was the real sickener.
2. Pressing High. People are already lambasting JFH for his tactics and they do have a point, although he was clearly trying throughout the first half, even before the goals, to reorganise. But it didn't work. The high-pressing seemed a good idea. Fulham had been obviously scouted and they like to start at the back, keeper to defenders, and work up. So Polter, Mackie, Hoilett and Phillips were tasked with shutting this down. Which they did. But the result was much worse. First of all, it meant a lot of timewasting, meaning we never got into any kind of rhythm. Second of all, and much worse, was that when they did get the ball over the halfway line, we were hopelessly over-stretched, leaving huge gaps in our half for Fulham to, it has to be said, exploit with some brilliantly efficient and incisive passing. They took a while to score, but that goal could have come at any time as they probed and unpicked our static, slow defence time and again. And once they did, it was the same as at Craven Cottage - a complete and utter collapse.
JFH could and perhaps should have allowed Fulham to have the ball at the back, allowed us to keep our more compact shape and tried to win it further back than on the edge of their box. We denied them space in that area, but granted it where it was most dangerous. Maybe a switch to 4-5-1, with Mackie going wide left would have slowed them a bit. But JFH, after last week, had a right to expect more from his team.
3. Ream, Cairney, McCormack, Dembele. With these four players it seems ludicrous that Fulham are as low as they are. Today all four arguably had better games in one match than any of our entire squad have had in the entire season. Ream was supreme at the back, gratefully devouring every stupid high ball QPR chipped up for him and totally dominating Polter and then Washington. Cairney was superb in the middle - winning the ball but delightfully confident with it too. McCormack, well, as usual, we had absolutely no idea what to do with him. Spent the entire game doing whatever the fk he wanted and was challenged about twice, I think. But was superb - particularly his passing and at least two absolutely wonderful balls into the box - as well as a fabulously taken goal that you knew would go in the moment he latched onto it. So far ahead of anyone in our team. And Dembele made easy work of Hall and Onuoha without barely seeming to break a sweat. Excellent performances - however bad we were, you have to applaud them for some sublime football. What have they been doing in games not against QPR this season?
4. Toszer. Of course, Toszer (along with the full backs) will take the majority of stick. In truth, he was no worse than anyone else out there, although by the end his head had gone completely and he was just looking to get rid of the ball as soon as it came anywhere near him. But still, after the promise of last week, this was back to his worst. Barely made a tackle, his passing was consistently poor, he has no pace, he didn't win a header despite being about 6'3. But you can't say this was all down to Ale's injury. He may have made a slight difference, especially as he is at least something of a leader, but this was a collective failure from coaches down to players. Had high hopes for him, but after finally giving us a decent half hour last week I'm not sure it's ever going to work out because we don't have the right kind of combative player to sit next to him. But then I'm not positive we have the right one to sit next to Luongo or Faurlin either.
5. London Derbies and Fulham. This record we have gets more laughable with every derby. We've now played Fulham six times in five years. In FOUR of those games we have been 3-0 down... AT HALF TIME. Dave Mc's been on Twitter talking about how this game means more to Fulham, but how can it? I don't understand it. I get that Chelsea games mean more to us than them. But I don't think Fulham see this as anything much more than playing Charlton or Brentford do they? But even if they do, let's look at those stats again - they are embarrassing us almost every time we play them. Surely, at some stage, this game should start to mean SOMETHING to our players too?
JFH said before the game, I read on here, that we would be right after them. And to some extent, for 10-15 mins we were, in that we refused to let them pass from the back. But then what happened? Total bafflement, total collapse without an ounce of pride before half time. A previously reliable defence suddenly standing around watching the ball roll in slow motion until Cairney swept it in. After losing 4-0 to a team many other teams in this league have beaten, why were we not desperate - not just to beat them - but to crush them? I don't get it.
And then we have our record in derbies in general. Bizarrely, our record v Chelsea over the same period as our dismal record v Fulham is probably as good as any other team in the Prem, even with the 6-1 humiliation. But look at our recent London derbies:
0-3; 0-4; 0-2; 0-0; 0-1; 1-3 (3 down at half time v Palace in that one too); 1-2; 1-2; 1-2; 1-2; 0-2; 0-4; 1-1; 2-1 (v Watford! hurray! 13 games since our last London derby win! But that's only if you count Watford as a London derby, which it isn't, so let's keep going) 0-1; 1-0 v Charlton! Hurray!
What an absolute embarrassment.
6. Nasser El Khayati. Well done! By performing with a modicum of competence and pretty much doing your job to an acceptable level and by actually looking dangerous and for getting a HUGE 6/10, you win man of the match! |  |
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:00 - Feb 13 with 4144 views | Toast_R |
All of this.
Don't understand our poor form in derbies. As for Fulham, losing hurts but I could handle that. We don't just lose though, we get totally and utterly polverised into a shambolic amateurish mess time and time again. Humiliation for us fans. Ludicrous because it's happened consistently with completely different squads on both sides. |  | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:07 - Feb 13 with 4110 views | plasmahoop |
Dare I say we are better off with Karl Henry in the team. At least he can run about a bit and tackle. Luongo and toszer were embarrassingly cack |  | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:08 - Feb 13 with 4092 views | Antti_Heinola |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:07 - Feb 13 by plasmahoop |
Dare I say we are better off with Karl Henry in the team. At least he can run about a bit and tackle. Luongo and toszer were embarrassingly cack |
Not really, no. Wasn't about individual personnel today, was about an immense collective failure. | |
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:09 - Feb 13 with 4071 views | Discodroids |
3 hours after the game and im still as bemused as when my 2nd wife left me to live in an Amish cult in the forest of dean, 2005. |  |
| "...The monkey is never dead, Dealer. The monkey never dies. When you kick him off, he just hides in a corner, waiting his turn." |
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:10 - Feb 13 with 4076 views | MelakaRanger |
Spot on. And JFH says he doesn't know why we were do bad...
Yet to most ever fan it's as clear as day
Still it shows the powers that be that we are no where as good as they believe we are |  | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:11 - Feb 13 with 4068 views | essextaxiboy |
We need to buy a dog ..someone who stays fit like Henry and plays like a fit Sandro , someone young with some fire in their belly who can drive the team on . |  | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:16 - Feb 13 with 4026 views | Discodroids |
hope Traores got something nice lined up for tonight. A meal perhaps under the Eiffel tower cooked by marco pierre white with his page three wife for valentines day , or a private jet to Twilo to dance the night away with Roger sanchez and paul oakenfold followed by a hearty breakfast of bagels and pancakes in a hip new york eaterie.
what ever it is..i wish him much love.
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| "...The monkey is never dead, Dealer. The monkey never dies. When you kick him off, he just hides in a corner, waiting his turn." |
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:33 - Feb 13 with 3988 views | bosh67 |
The most lethargic, uncoordinated, lackluster, clueless performance at home for years. Baffling after last week.
JFH after seeing Tozser run midfield for 30 mins last week was entitled to pick him again with Faurlin injured. Surely time for him to take another game forward but he just didn't and when the fans got at him his head fell off its shoulders. But then again, in high insight this was a game for Henry to hold midfield and let Luongo play. Luongo was completely exposed with Toszer unable to tackle. The Mackie decision. Again I kind of understand it. Washington had a late fitness test but it simply didn't work.
It was as if we had been hypnotised before the game that it was Fulham and we must forget everything we know about football.
We didn't push, we didn't get to the ball, we didn't get to the second ball, we hoofed it long to a 6 foot 6 Fulham CB as if we were determined to pick him out.
The third goal was the most embarrassing goal we have conceded in seasons. Not seen anything like that for ages.
Biggest problem and if JFH learns nothing else then surely any coach worth his salt finally looks at Konk and Perch and goes, sh*t they get skinned every time. Get Robinson in at LB, get Yun back at LB, get Heather f*cking Mills back at LB. She's be quicker. On the right, get Furlong back, put him in, play Mackie at RB, he has offered. F*ck Stephen Hawkins would be quicker!
When Perch and Konk go forward they simply can't get back.
If I were the club I would offer a refund to every season ticket holder tonight. You can't account for losing but you can account for the manner of the defeat. When it is that bad, at home, you say sorry, compensate the fans and move on to the next game and get that right. Surely after that the club should pay for fans to travel to Bolton at the very least.
Why on earth did we let Doughty go out on loan? [Post edited 13 Feb 2016 17:34]
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:33 - Feb 13 with 3982 views | essextaxiboy |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:08 - Feb 13 by Antti_Heinola |
Not really, no. Wasn't about individual personnel today, was about an immense collective failure. |
Agreed , but that includes the selection and tactics . Henry would have been more effective thanToszer in getting amongst Parker and O Hara .It reminded me of the West Ham game with Faurlin and Granero .
I am not getting into JFH , but he made a mistake today IMO and the performance on the pitch from almost everyone highlighted it . | | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:40 - Feb 13 with 3929 views | E17hoop |
Re 2. If you press high against a 352, you'll always be overrun in midfield. We were set up all wrong to press high - we should've allowed them to keep the ball on the halfway line and hit them over the top with the midfield so crowded. That needs, however, competent longer ball play and strikers with the ability to drag the 3CBs around. Mackie tried and was relatively successful earlier on; Polter didn't do so well but was unlucky to be subbed. |  |
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:44 - Feb 13 with 3906 views | ShotKneesHoop |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:09 - Feb 13 by Discodroids |
3 hours after the game and im still as bemused as when my 2nd wife left me to live in an Amish cult in the forest of dean, 2005. |
Disco. A couple of questions you pose that require answers.
Three Hours? That long?
Two wives? Didn't you learn the first time?
Leaving you? What did you do?
Amish Cult? Is the second word a spelling mistake?
2005? Why that year?
Forest of Dean? Hang on - that's the wild boar centre of the UK. That's the answer we really want.
Were we shyte today? Open University three year degree - studying the Bleeding Obvious. |  |
| Why does it feel like R'SWiPe is still on the books? Yer Couldn't Make It Up.Well Done Me! |
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:49 - Feb 13 with 3878 views | dannyblue |
Good points. Doesn't make much difference, but Ream wasn't playing. It was 6'7" Dan Burn gobbling everything up. |  | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:55 - Feb 13 with 3838 views | baz_qpr |
I think you're being kind to Toszer Antti, his positioning and lack of mobility / effort gave them total freedom of the park and left Luongo totally isolated for every tackle he made or missed or pass made or missed, he would just stop and gently jog back into his no mans land position 3 feet in front of the back 4. He failed to track, he failed to support or compete. It was a total travesty of a performance and I must presume Henry must be in a similar contract position to green because I cannot fathom how JFH could not see this after 20 minutes and certainly not after 90 |  | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 18:13 - Feb 13 with 3802 views | Rs_Holy |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:16 - Feb 13 by Discodroids |
hope Traores got something nice lined up for tonight. A meal perhaps under the Eiffel tower cooked by marco pierre white with his page three wife for valentines day , or a private jet to Twilo to dance the night away with Roger sanchez and paul oakenfold followed by a hearty breakfast of bagels and pancakes in a hip new york eaterie.
what ever it is..i wish him much love.
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Hey.... I am too feeling the love for Armbands... Shocking luck with injuries the poor little soul... Keep plucking away Armbands we're thinking of you  |  | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 18:18 - Feb 13 with 3781 views | WilloW4 |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:08 - Feb 13 by Antti_Heinola |
Not really, no. Wasn't about individual personnel today, was about an immense collective failure. |
Led by our 'captain'... Terrible all round. |  | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 19:20 - Feb 13 with 3641 views | vegasranger |
Good report Anti. Just like to add Onuha was ball watching for the first two goals. With Toszer in the team , you start with 10 men. Polter really is very poor quality for all his effort. When his contract comes up, remember Hoilett's first half performance. Cairney for Fulham looks the real deal. | | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 22:01 - Feb 13 with 3393 views | paulparker |
Cannot believe that Perch is escaping criticism, he was fcuking woeful
2 of Fulham goals were down to him and as for that diving tackle in the 2nd half ive seen better on a sunday morning, awful signing
same could be said of Koncshecky who like perch is fcuking sh1t, I dunno what yun as done to be dropped for him
the game was lost in midfield, Toszer isn't up to it and we will be counting down another couple of years until we can get rid
Hall I said a few weeks back as much as I like him as the tendency to ball watch, which he did for the 1st goal
also can we please bin hoilett, what's the point in having chery & EL khaite on long term contracts and then playing this waster who has about 6 months left |  |
| And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 22:08 - Feb 13 with 3370 views | Bakes |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 22:01 - Feb 13 by paulparker |
Cannot believe that Perch is escaping criticism, he was fcuking woeful
2 of Fulham goals were down to him and as for that diving tackle in the 2nd half ive seen better on a sunday morning, awful signing
same could be said of Koncshecky who like perch is fcuking sh1t, I dunno what yun as done to be dropped for him
the game was lost in midfield, Toszer isn't up to it and we will be counting down another couple of years until we can get rid
Hall I said a few weeks back as much as I like him as the tendency to ball watch, which he did for the 1st goal
also can we please bin hoilett, what's the point in having chery & EL khaite on long term contracts and then playing this waster who has about 6 months left |
For the first time in a long time I was genuinely embarrassed. My personal favourite was the second goal, it bounced off the post, Hall and Konchesky are within a meter of the ball but both fail to guess that it's going to roll into their path and the Fulham player who is 5 meters out had time to run in and tap it home. Comedy gold. |  |
| With Faith And Courage Comes Glory |
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 22:40 - Feb 13 with 3322 views | daveB |
I thought El Khayiti looked very good when he came on hopefully he'll start next week. |  | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 22:50 - Feb 13 with 3295 views | WilloW4 |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 22:08 - Feb 13 by Bakes |
For the first time in a long time I was genuinely embarrassed. My personal favourite was the second goal, it bounced off the post, Hall and Konchesky are within a meter of the ball but both fail to guess that it's going to roll into their path and the Fulham player who is 5 meters out had time to run in and tap it home. Comedy gold. |
Have a look at 'the chief' ( ha feckin' ha)... Just standing there, marking his favourite blade of grass... Comedy gold is Onouha ..!! | | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 22:54 - Feb 13 with 3275 views | ozexile |
I cant believe a respected coach and assistant couldn't see the changes that were needed. I can't believe the captain or players on the field couldnt see it. It was obvious from the first 10 mins that we shouldn't press so high as they just played it straight to parker and through our lines. We should have retreated and set ourselves and built from there. Crackers. | | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 23:11 - Feb 13 with 3234 views | WilloW4 |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:08 - Feb 13 by Antti_Heinola |
Not really, no. Wasn't about individual personnel today, was about an immense collective failure. |
No mention of our captain being complete shite.. Again.!! Knee jerk that.!! | | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 01:23 - Feb 14 with 3117 views | PunteR |
Fulham done their homework. They made it difficult right from the start. Time-wasting,fouling, snapping at the heels , making it scrappy and not allowing us to get a foot on the ball. The ref didn't help,poor performance by him. Our players just seem flustered. We just didn't show any composure on the ball and gave it away. Fulham was then able to dictate the tempo of the game which they played really well.
Poulter just couldn't get the ball to stick but also no one was there for his knock downs anyway. I'm not convinced by him at all. Our first attempt at goal should have been his head on it but he just ran to the near post. Too be fair on him he wasn't really getting the service.
Everything has already been said about the midfield but just to stick my boot in as well I think Tozser is one of the worst midfielders I've seen in hoops.
We need a martin Rowlands type player in there. Someone to lead and throw in some tough tackles. We made it too easy for them.
I was sitting just behind the goal about 8 rows up and I honestly could have jumped the barriers ran onto the pitch, give my kids a wave and cleared that effing ball for their third. What were they playing at,game over.
In life we tend to learn more by our mistakes so hopefully JFH can take this game as a harsh lesson learned. |  |
| Occasional providers of half decent House music. |
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| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 01:37 - Feb 14 with 3099 views | WilloW4 |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 17:08 - Feb 13 by Antti_Heinola |
Not really, no. Wasn't about individual personnel today, was about an immense collective failure. |
What a load off pretensions shite...." Wasn't about individual personnel today ,was about immense collective failure"!.....what the Feck is that shite?!?!? Individual players were shite.. Team was shite.. Management was shite.. QPR were shite!!! | | | |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 02:50 - Feb 14 with 3061 views | Pommyhoop |
| Antti's 6 Knee Jerks - Fulham on 01:37 - Feb 14 by WilloW4 |
What a load off pretensions shite...." Wasn't about individual personnel today ,was about immense collective failure"!.....what the Feck is that shite?!?!? Individual players were shite.. Team was shite.. Management was shite.. QPR were shite!!! |
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