Ruiz on Bench - Riise on Bench

[Cottager58]

And, yes Etuhu is back. The line up is

Schwarzer

Kelly - Senderos - Hangeland - Baird

--------Murphy-----Etuhu-------------

--Duff---------Dembele------Davies

------------Dempsey------------------

I think Kompany is injured for them. Probably as good as it could get.

Let's have a go --- COYW

[Bandit]

And, yes Etuhu is back. The line up is

Schwarzer

Kelly - Senderos - Hangeland - Baird

--------Murphy-----Etuhu-------------

--Duff---------Dembele------Davies

------------Dempsey------------------

I think Kompany is injured for them. Probably as good as it could get.

Let's have a go --- COYW

Not a bad line up. Not sure about Baird at left back though, has he ever played there before?

[fulhamireland]

Think he filled in for Konchesky a few times. It's a gamble by Jol but it's about time he gambled. Happy Dembele is back, should be entertaining to watch.

[Circus Lights]

No way a pen. Obvious dive from Johnson. Baird pulled his leg out of the way

[fulhamireland]

Another dive from Johnson, goes unpunished.

[Circus Lights]

Looks like the Baird selection hasn't worked out then!

[Bandit]

Another tactical stroke of genius from Jol.

[Circus Lights]

City are at their most dangerous when we have a corner. Scary.

[fulhamireland]

City are closing us down quick, forcing us to play blind passes. Dempsey is coming too deep for the ball and our defence is a disgrace. This could be 5 or 6 if we don't sort it out.

[frogman27]

i have to agree, a peculiar decsion to play baird, not worked so far. That said when we have posession going forward we look as though we could nick a goal if someone is willing to gamble on the space. Would like to see trotta if he is on the bench. When was the last time a game was played in such heavy snow.

[fulhamireland]

I remember a few years back we were beating Sunderland 1-0 and the game was called off due to heavy snow. Think we lost the return game. That's probably our best hope at the moment having the match abandoned!!

[Circus Lights]

Not too disheartened by today. Think we've shown plenty of heart and nice touches up front. Just need to get Dempsey back in his best position with the other two amigos - the three of them behind Pog or AJ.

[GeraScores]

I never expected anything from this game, so 3 goals down is not so disheartening. 3 points at home against Stoke will be a good tonic. Although I'd like to see some strikers up-front, which allows Clint to play his more natural game. At the end tonight, he still managed to walk through half the City defence, but needs someone with a a striker's brain to help.

C O Y W

[valjing]

Watched the game on tv, and I must agree with one of the commentators, when he said.
Fulham are devoid of ideas,and lack the ability or pace to take on the City defense, and
there seems a lack of quality in Fulhams back 4.
"A Jol fan," or not, questions must be asked. Pace and taking on of players was required, ie Frei. Riese,better than Briggs?
and as most of the regular attendees at theCottage,have been saying all season what about a couple of defenders.

[Super Brian McBride]

Thought Baird would play, but I've said before I don't think he can play Fullback.
I like him in Midfield or Center-half, but he proved in his Sanchez days that
Fullback was a position he couldn't play, on the right, let alone left.

I think Jol wanted to experiment with a rightfooter against Johnson who cuts in with his left.
Experiment failed.
Again I'm not too disheartened, but disappointed that our goal difference suffered because of
a cheat and lucky deflection. But then they could have had a penalty for the Etuhu tackle.

Basically Adam Johnson cheated to get the penalty, no ifs or buts, he fooled the Ref.
And that settled Man City down with an early goal.

We had lots of possession, but no cutting edge, lets hope that this is rectified against weaker opposition.

[Bandit]

One word for you that sums up our offensive approach - Pedestrian.

Baird shouldn't have started on the left and was getting turned inside out by Johnson. If Riise wasn't going to play then why not the second best natural left footed defender in Briggs? City let's be honest didn't get out of first gear and didn't need to either.

[FFC_Madness]

Awful ref. Dean is a classic ref that spoils the game. Wrong penalty decision, not booking Johnson, should have sent off Kolarov... Had he given Johnson a yellow for the first, he should have sent him off for the second dive... Think FA should start punishing these players the same way they punish other incidents.

Poor performance by us and I'm getting a bit uneasy...

[frogman27]

I am torn after watching this game. Under Roy we always went away from home and tried to grind out a game and nick a point if we could. Today we pushed players forward when we attacked but were caught on the counter more often that not. Which is the better of the 2 ?

Perhaps today was not the day to commit so many forward. Baird was not good at left back but I can see why Jol wanted to stop Adam Johson cutting in alot, however, he got done. On the subject of Adam Johnson, what a shame such a good player resorts to cheating like that, so unnecessary. But as someone said, Etuhu was lucky to get away with one.

We are crying out for someone to attack the space in behind defenders. So often today we had no one looking at running the channels. AJ can do this well but needs a run in the team. Porgrebnyak may surprise us all and do so as well.

Today we came up against a really disaplined Man City, they crammed the space in front of the back line and neutralised our creativity, credit has to go to them for doing so. We huffed and puffed but could not blow the house down. On the next game. Ruiz did look good though when he came on, as did Duffers.

COYW

[fulhamireland]

The FA should clamp down on cheating like they're clamping down on racism. There's no place for cheating in the game. It disguists me when pundits say 'it's part of the modern game'. It's only part of the game because it's allowed to be. Johnson should have gotten 2 yellows for two seperate dives. I'd feel the exact same if it was one of our own players doing it.

[Bandit]

The FA should clamp down on cheating like they're clamping down on racism. There's no place for cheating in the game. It disguists me when pundits say 'it's part of the modern game'. It's only part of the game because it's allowed to be. Johnson should have gotten 2 yellows for two seperate dives. I'd feel the exact same if it was one of our own players doing it.

You can't fine players for 'diving' as they would just use the excuse of losing balance, which often can't helped. If they theatrically throw themselves to the ground then that's a different matter. That **** who plays for Wisla being a prime example.