Now this is a trap game if ever there was one, Home to bottom of the table with everyone expecting an easy 3 points... well there is no such thing in the championship. Was Millwall a good away point?? I ve said it before a point away from home is a good point as long as you follow up with 3 points in your next home game. Barnsley are not as bad as they look on paper, they lost a massive game recently at the Valley 2-1 which may have knocked the stuffing out of them but they were much the better team hitting the woodwork 3 times. I honestly can’t count the number of times I have been watching sky on a Saturday and in Barnsley have conceded only for the reporter to say “ It’s come a bit against the run of play Barnsley had started really well”. Woodrow has been on form ever since he left us for Barnsley and Chaplin who they got from Pompey is a decent forward player. I think to win we will need to score two as I fancy them scoring luckily there defence is a weakness and scoring two is very realistic. Sad news that Kongolo is out for the season and the rumours are Mawson is as well so it looks like Hector and Ream for the rest of the season. Knockeart missed Millwall through illness not injury so hopefully maybe back. Arter didn’t have the best game and I can see McDonald coming back in. needless to say with a very tough March coming up this is a must win home game if we want to making top 2! Barnsley are missing there first choice keeper through injury and centre Diaby is suspended
The wet and windy conditions played their part but Fulham were pretty miserable all round, epitomised by Rodak having his worst game in an error strewn match. Barnsley on the other hand coped well with the conditions in what was more like a Sunday league game played on a open Park pitch. Cauley Woodrow came back to haunt us, you could tell he was up for it, shame no Fulham player matched him. I doubt any Fulham player on the pitch would have made MOTM until Kamara came on and injected some pace to go past defenders. Parker had a nightmare in selection, tactics and substitutions. Again he started with the tippy-tappy football at the back on a day when the ball just skidded all over the place and players couldn't judge the pace, the crowd soon got on the players backs, especially Ream who seemed to want to put 90% of his passes back to Rodak. If the analytics look at Reams possession and passing then I'm sure Barcelona will be putting in a bid.
Beat home and away off bottom of the league, why do we always struggle against the teams near the bottom? Barnsley, Luton, Stoke, Charlton, we've dropped points to these teams this season. Even in past Championship seasons I remember dropping points to the likes of Bolton, Burton etc when they were struggling. The sort of games we really need to be winning to get to where we want to be.
It was a miserable afternoon both weather and football wise. As you say Brian, Kamara at least made a difference. He was rubbish against Millwall so perhaps being the impact sub is his role at present. Barnsley were just more up for it, more fight, more desire. The penalty did not help - I do feel when we go one nil down we generally lose the game, particularly at Craven Cottage. Rodak just had a game to forget. At least Parker came out and said sorry with no lame excuses. It was as poor as it gets, against the bottom side.In the weather conditions our playing out from the back, tippy tap football wasn't going to work. We needed another tactic and going more direct but it was not to be. Full credit to Barnsley, they did one on us.
