Craven Cottage Newsround

A running commentary I did of today’s game vs Blackburn.
(more…)

One way or another Jimmy Bullard will be playing in the Premiership next year. Today his effervescent midfield display finished with a late, late free-kick to earn Fulham a just about good enough point. If he doesn’t keep us up there will be a long queue of managers wanting to buy him in the summer.

It may not come to that, as today’s point just about maintains the two wins gap between us and our rivals. We’ll have to get those wins at Reading, Derby, and at home to Birmingham and Sunderland. Same as before today. We’re treading water.

Hodgson made a change in goal today, replacing Niemi with Keller, a move that is hard to argue with on balance. Niemi saves a lot of shots but there are doubts about most other aspects of his game. Keller is solid, if unspectacular. Today he did well, reliable when called upon, notably in the second half when throwing himself at the feet of Jason Roberts, who was through on goal.

His reasonably relaxed day was possible because the defence was again fairly solid. Konchesky gave another battling performance, and the Hughes/Hangeland pairing seems to be acceptably reliable. Paul Stalteri on the right had a good but eventful game.

It took an hour for Fulham to create a clear chance: Johnson, nervous and clumsy again, burst clear in the inside right channel. He swerved in and out and then shot hard, but his drive flicked the bar and the chance was gone. From here he improved and showed glimpses of what might be a good player. But there is work to do.

Soon after we were a goal down. Neat work down the right, a good cross, and Morten Gamst Pedersen, unmarked in the middle, crashed his header past Keller. Marking?

But wait. Replays showed that he had slipped his marker, Stalteri, via a stealthy judo throw! The ball was some distance away and the officials were not monitoring the far post area. It was not a goal, a glaring non-decision, but such is life for Fulham.

There seemed no way back. Fulham pressed forward but Blackburn repelled our messy, desperate attacks. But in the last minute Simon Davies cleverly dinked a pass over the defence and into the path of Johnson. The ball was hooked clear just as Johnson was bearing down on goal, and, extraordinarily, Mike Riley awarded a free-kick for high-feet. The usual committee discussed things, Konchesky rolled the ball to Bullard, and Bullard whipped a shot over the wall and into the top corner. Amazing.

It is more than likely too late now, but it is not impossible to see a good team coming together out there. The defence is not perfect but almost certainly now good enough, and Hogson has found a gem in Leon Andreasen. The midfielder is raw but extremely effective. Simon Davies is a class player, and if Danny Murphy can no longer control games, then he seems to be a useful person to have around if the team is to focus on short passing. Clint Dempsey was hot and cold again today: we may be seeing the after effects of his early season workload. But he can play. Which leaves us the one, golden problem: scoring goals. Can this team find a way to score two goals a game for the rest of the year?

The goal:

Jim sizes things up

Here’s what he’s faced with:

Holy barnet! 1-1!

I stated in a post yesterday that we really need a miracle. So I’m wearing my son’s lucky Fulham slippers again today. Last time I wore them Jimmy Bullard hit a free-kick in the dying minutes of the game to give Fulham a win and us supporters some hope. And even if they don’t bring us a miracle, or just some luck, at least they’re keeping my feet warm. It’s -1°F here in the Twin Cites. A tad warmer at 52°F in London currently.

COYW!