Fulham(away)predictions

[champs95]

Of course above, I have simplified this issue.
You don't play a bunch of kids.
That would be the complete wrong balance.
NEITHER do you play an unbalanced set of 30 somethings together.
I just simply felt he had the complete balance to the side wrong. Which impacted the side.
And of the 11, none appeared to have a clue how top break down a extremely average Charlton side.

I was hoping we had some kind of balance. Or, are we just going to throw a random bunch out each week, and just 'hope' that it works? It looked like that on Sat. I didn't see a game plan.

Your happy to ladle the whole blame onto the players, despite telling me I'm wrong for putting the blame at the managers door. Because my view is extreme? But yet your view, is to blame all the players????
So all our players have gone into full revolt? And in unison all said, ah can't be bothered today. Lets all put in a crap performance.
Did we hold a team meeting to decide that all the players would all have a crap game? Was it held after the team meeting where instructions where given out? Seems pretty convenient, and definitely what happened.

if that was the case Auks. Do we sack the entire first team? And keep Mowbray?
Or if all the players revolted, should we not be asking, why are the players in open revolt?

I think, like anything, you will find it will be somewhere in the middle. I completely agree, you can't BLAME everything on one party.
I said I felt TM got pretty much everything wrong on Sat.
Equally he can't be responsible for the poor performances of certain players.

The one I really feel for is this inexperienced kid from City. Coming into such a poor defensive unit. The poor kid is onto a real loser. Come 70 mins on Sat we will be dead. No matter what display we put in. Those 30 year olds will be dead on their legs.
We conceded more goals in the final 10 mins than our entire division last season? Crazy eh?
you could look at that and ask questions? Address it? Or ignore it and just hope it gets better.
I know 2 people that will help with solve this problem.
Bennett and Mulgrew.

[AucklandRover]

No, Champs, I wouldn't sack anyone. Nowhere did I say players weren't trying. I said several played badly, including some of our most reliable ones!
That is beyond ANY manager's control.
Are YOU saying that Buckley or Rankin-Costello playing from the start instead of Downing (who, actually, was one of the better performers) would have made all the difference?
We can agree on Nyambe instead of Bennett, but Tosin instead of Mulgrew (so soon after the former's arrival) would have been a gamble. I don't mind gambles, but to argue - as some are - that putting Tosin in was a no-brainer is ridiculous.
Beyond that, Rothwell instead of Armstrong? My preference, yes, but 50-50, really. Graham instead of Gallagher? Again, that's what I'd have chosen, but Gallagher was the better of the two on the day.
It is not "ladling blame" on players to say they were below par. It happens to some in every match.
What I reject is this argument that if the manager had told Player A to station himself 15 metres further to the left, the player would have had a much better game. They aren't robots; they shouldn't have to be programmed.
In my rugby career, I was used in 14 different positions. (I don't remember ever being scrum-half!). I was better at some than others, but I adapted and I tried hard.
Are highly-talented, extremely fit, professional footballers only capable of acting according to orders - and only in one position?
This mindless blaming of the manager for every fault absolutely drives me mad.
It reached its peak after one match when Bowyer (I think) was in charge. One Telegraph poster blamed him because one player hit the woodwork twice, and another missed a penalty.
One last point. I really don't buy the idea that in his modern age of conditioning and monitoring, a player in his early- or mid-thirties can't run about for 90 minutes!

[champs95]

No, Champs, I wouldn't sack anyone. Nowhere did I say players weren't trying. I said several played badly, including some of our most reliable ones!
That is beyond ANY manager's control.
Are YOU saying that Buckley or Rankin-Costello playing from the start instead of Downing (who, actually, was one of the better performers) would have made all the difference?
We can agree on Nyambe instead of Bennett, but Tosin instead of Mulgrew (so soon after the former's arrival) would have been a gamble. I don't mind gambles, but to argue - as some are - that putting Tosin in was a no-brainer is ridiculous.
Beyond that, Rothwell instead of Armstrong? My preference, yes, but 50-50, really. Graham instead of Gallagher? Again, that's what I'd have chosen, but Gallagher was the better of the two on the day.
It is not "ladling blame" on players to say they were below par. It happens to some in every match.
What I reject is this argument that if the manager had told Player A to station himself 15 metres further to the left, the player would have had a much better game. They aren't robots; they shouldn't have to be programmed.
In my rugby career, I was used in 14 different positions. (I don't remember ever being scrum-half!). I was better at some than others, but I adapted and I tried hard.
Are highly-talented, extremely fit, professional footballers only capable of acting according to orders - and only in one position?
This mindless blaming of the manager for every fault absolutely drives me mad.
It reached its peak after one match when Bowyer (I think) was in charge. One Telegraph poster blamed him because one player hit the woodwork twice, and another missed a penalty.
One last point. I really don't buy the idea that in his modern age of conditioning and monitoring, a player in his early- or mid-thirties can't run about for 90 minutes!

I really don't buy the idea that in his modern age of conditioning and monitoring, a player in his early- or mid-thirties can't run about for 90 minutes!

It's all subjective. My own view is I saw with my own eyes, the likes of Johnson, who had a very good game up to that point, had tired, around the 70 min mark. Once they scored the 2nd, the time we desperately needed to go again and create things, we created nothing. Because we where too leggy. Too slow, too tired.

Its no slight on the lad. I was not as as quick at 35 as I was at 22. That's basic stuff.

Players do age, they do get slower. They aren't as fit at the end of their career as they are at the start. I would not expect him to be unlike 100% of his colleagues.

When we got the 30odd year old lads, I thought we all said the same thing? I was under the impression we all had a similar opinion. They surley wont all start together? You wouldnt throw a bunch of young lads in? Like you wouldnt throw lots of 30 odd year olds in. Surley you find a balance?
When I criticized last weeks decisions I was meaning things like this. The subs he made, the tactics, the fact he made an error playing Mulgrew ....which was enough for hi to move him away from the fkng club!!! ....playing Bennett.
And I believe I was correct in all those criticisms. No, he wasn't in control of performance. Thats down to the players. But all the other things I mentioned fall on the manager. Which is true!!! He has spent the week trying to rectify this. And tomorrows team will not include Bennett. And you will find there will be more balance in it.

[AucklandRover]

I wouldn't bank on "no Bennett"! I think he SHOULD be dropped at the moment, because he is woefully below his best, and it is difficult to overcome that dramatic loss of form and confidence on the pitch, in front of a crowd that is waiting for you to make a mistake.
All the same, I wouldn't be 100% surprised if EB plays on the right flank in front of Nyambe.
Do you think it's possible we will see Tosin at right-back, with Williams and Lenihan in the middle? I hope not, but it must have crossed TM's mind.

[champs95]

Honestly....if everyone is fit, Tosin is there to challenge for centre half. We are left with 3 to choose from every week. Lenihan (who I think should be captain now) Williams & Tosin. Grayson is back up. It's got to be Nyambe (but someone giving him cover in front) Cunnigham (Bell & Bennett as cover)
I do believe Tosin has come here to play CH. But if we get injuries he can play there RB.
Yes, he will keep Bennett around and hopefully he sorts his form out. I do think he will be taken out of the side though. Downing can do exactly what he did, same with Evans. Who I'm not forgetting about or dismissing. I wouldnt be surprised if he plays tomorrow.

[AucklandRover]

Yes - Evans and Smallwood, the forgotten men!
I have a sneaking fancy we might see Gladwin at right-back today...

[seventwo]

Yes - Evans and Smallwood, the forgotten men!
I have a sneaking fancy we might see Gladwin at right-back today...

Drugs test required for that one Aucks

[AucklandRover]

Drugs test required for that one Aucks

I didn't inhale.

[test]

Fulham 2 Rovers 1

3-2 Rovers
2-0 Southampton.

[seventwo]

Bennett and Bell at FB no Lenihan