Match Day Thread Vs Fulham (A)

Klopp is saying Matip may play against Spurs

 

any chance of the front 3 playing ?

 

Don't think that was really the problem today.

It was all the first half and Fulham certainly weren't defending deep. If anything thats how we actually managed to get a point, if Fulham had carried on with their pressing (like the first half) they could have destroyed us, but because Fulham had decided that 1-0 was good enough they started to sit back and try to hold onto it and gave us the chance to start to create.
We couldn't cope with Fulhams pressing in the 1st half

We are lacking the players who create calm in the defence and the control in midfield, mainly down to all the bloody injuries we've had.

We also seem to be starting badly in almost every game, probably because of the above issue, and this gives confidence to the opposition, Fulham today saw us start badly, misplaced passes, iffy defending and players losing the ball too easily and saw an oppotunity to go at us.

 

I just think he needs to get stonger.

I mean we ain't signed many duds under klopp, we have signed players who took a while to get going though.

Hes got the running and pressing but he's about 6 stone and not cute enough at the moment (maybe never will be) to win/keep the ball off a normal sized man In most cases. So he needs to bulk up or work on his strength for me.

 

Couldn't agtee more with this, that's what's so frustrating our missing players at the back are making other players in front of them do more work.

And its starting to show

 

Well we scored from a penalty that came from a free kick. Not like we created decent chances from open play

 

After reflecting on the game again, I think it is a disservice to Fulham who played extremely well. Sometimes you have to acknowledge how the opponent played rather than critique self. We were not fast of the block but that was due to Fulham and their incessant pressure and kudos to them. We did recover and had some good chances to score in the second half but all in all that was a fair result.

 

well said mate, they deserved all three points from the game

 

Fulham did play well or the first part of the game. they then defended "ok" for the rest.

They had the pace and willingness to run at us and cause issues, and that should give them some hope compared to the other sides like sheff utd who can't buy a goal. They came out like it meant something and having fans back no doubt helps. their intensity was double ours.

however they spent much of the rest of the game wasting decent counter attacking positions when we had 2 cms playing CB and one who then followed the ball rather than getting into place. I saw a lot of very way ward crossing from them and not really much nouse.

That said we have to look at what we did as well. The few times our players realised that they could actually run they cut them up. Mane and jones literally walked through them. Salah did once but we then went back to playing it sideways and back and failed to really do much for too much of the game.

As for minamino. A little solid effort yes but he's not really making any impact with it as its run towards a tackle then stop and not make it stuff do its not really much use. he's not no real pace nor an eye for a pass but klopp likes him so i don't know.

we got lucky with the pen. we were never going to score and then salah got lucky as keepers have figured him out now. they are all standing up hoping he hits them down the middle and this lad for fulham was unlucky that it was so wet the ball went under him.

Make no mistake, this could have been another villa. that first 30mins to a slightly better fulham team could have been 3 goals down. get got away with 1-1 and frankly where we need to be this just isn't going to cut it.

 

Will try to be as positive as can be. We all know that the performance was simply not good enough but as bad as we were, we still should have won. Hendo had a clear cut chance, and Mane and Salah both should have done better with theirs. Not to mention the fact that Salah was pushed before Fulham scored their goal (yes it was soft but still a foul, same way the handball for our penalty is daft but is still the law).

My concern with the team is the mental fatigue more than the physical fatigue. Not only are they being pushed to their max but it's combined with the constant sh*tty news that their fellow teammates are getting injuries, which then adds more pressure on them to a) deliver and b) stay fit.

The midfield for me was our weakest point - it neither defended well or supported the attack. Gini was non existent and Hendo had possibly his worst game in around a year. We really needed Fabinho there to give us more control - unfortunately, we won't see that until we sign at least 1 CB.

We're still in the mix - just have to keep hanging on as much as possible and praying that we get players back and stay fit.

 

I actually found that more depressing than the Villa game as that could be written off as an early season blip . Bar Allison everyone was poor or absolute crap , As Jim says even Henderson who even if not good is rarely poor these days had a shocker . The front 3 were to put it politely ****ing useless though in the first half the aimless hoofs forward from the back for them to chase didn't really do them any favours .

 

This was winding me up so much. So many rubbish long balls and crosses all throughout the match.

I suppose this was a symptom of our midfield lacking a player like Thiago, Fabinho, Shaq or Keita who can find that pass.

 

tbh I dont see the mentality.

tired legs can always be excused or used as an excuse but last year we won these games and this year we've binned 6 points already.

 

How sh!t were we?

Our good performances have been few and far between this season. Add to that our ever growing long term injury list and it's ridiculous we are joint top.

 

only because everyone is **** this year .

 

Complete lack of pressure, energy and pressing at times. Just non existent.

Villa game was the same obviously, but Sheffield Utd game, West Ham and Fulham yesterday were all the same. Just never looked like we would get going.

 

The players look knackered but we must also remember that our style has been compromised as well. We can't play the high line which means our midfielders drop deeper which then isolates the attackers.

We're missing our star centre back who was brilliant at long balls to the attack and to the wide men. We moved our best DM into CB, who is not only good at controlling the midfield but can also play progressive balls.

 

Maybe bringing on Phillips for Matip could have meant Henderson being more advanced in his midfield role

 

I thought Gini was particularly poor yesterday. The attributes you associate with him (i.e. strength, athleticism and ball retention) were just non existent.
He was out muscled on occasion and his passing was well below par.
Performances like that are inexplicable sometimes, massive credit to Fulham for their game plan etc. Draw was a fair result even though our penalty
was dubious.