Running commentary, Fulham 1-1 Blackburn

A running commentary I did of today’s game vs Blackburn.

Line ups, some surprises:

Some changes in the lineup. Why is Keller in? Davies on the left again? Looks like just one up top and it’s Johnson. McBride out. Murphy still in and Dempsey on the right.

Kickoff.
Good pace and lots of passing by Fulham again but we’re giving the ball away again several times with bad passes while we are on the attack.

7- Bentley with a cross and Konch blocks, corner. Keller with a poor punch but the ball is cleared. The rain is pouring down.

7-Johnson clearly pulled down on a one-on-one and Riely doesn’t give the foul. Replay shows Johnson goes down too easily but most refs would have given it. Johnson seemed to have a quarter of a step on him. Would have been interesting to see what he could have done with it.

13- Johnson gets another through ball but seems to go the wrong way on his run and slows down but does get a CK. Good ball in but Freidel punches away and Dempsey was jumping high and right there.

15- pace has slowed down considerably.

23- About 50 to 50 for possession.

35- Aaron Hughes saves the day as Santa Cruz cruises through the defense until a lunging Hughes toes the ball away. EJ continues to disappoint. Again, tentative and almost seems afraid of success. He certainly has had some opportunities to do something special today.

38- Dempsey dribbles in, a shot and blocked. Corner. Davies with the corner. Blackburn clear. BB had everyone back.

38:30- Murphy gets a good chance as he spins, loses his man and dribbles in. He passes to Dempsey making a run and again, another Murphy pass that doesn’t make it’s mark in the attacking third.

40- Andreasen with a shot after a deflection that looks like it could have gone in but it’s blocked and a corner. CK and Andreasen flicks it onto the far post and too far. GK Blackburn.

Halftime

The game is even up for possession but in my opinion Blackburn have had the better of the attacking possession. The game has been a bit slow over all and hasn’t really opened up yet. Fulham’s defense has been unlocked several times but it’s been the “bend but don’t break” philosophy.

One shot on goal for each team. I think Fulham needs another forward. Johnson’s speed has caused problems, but he hasn’t taken advantage of the service he’s been given. With two up front it might cause things to open up a bit for him. But then what do we give away in the back. I’m guessing Roy will keep things as they are but replace Johnson about 10 min into the second.

HalfStats:

Second Half

47- Corner BB, header over the top. Steven Reid blocks Keller from getting to the ball but it goes over the net.

48- Foul on Dempsey, poor ball into the box on the free kick. Continued attack by Fulham but ball goes high and Johnson fouls. Ball is played and BB go on an immediate attack.

51- Johnson gets in again and again he loses faith and doesn’t battle his man and instead goes down easily and doesn’t get the call. Damn, the young man has got to go for it. That’s why he’s there.

53- Konch tries to clear the ball and hits his own cross bar with the ball. Keller was not able to get to there. Way too close. CK, Fulham win the ball.

54- The game seems to have sort of a stop and start pace to it. Nothing really flowing for either team.

55- Pederson with a shot from the top of the box. just to the left but Keller looked like he had it covered.

56- Derbyshire in for McCarthy. Roberts in for Tugay. Three strikers on for BB but they are still playing with two on top.

57- Mike Riley is inconsistent as hell today. Two players, Dempsey and Davies down in the box but no call.

57- Johnson clear on the right, beats Friedal and hits a wicked shot that glances off the post. Damn! But that’s much better from GAM.

59- WTF! 1-0 Blackburn.
I am beginning to think that Refs have it out for Fulham. Stalteri was taken down in the box with an arm from Pederson who puts Stalteri into the ground. He just stands there and puts the ball into the net with a header. It seems the defender went down too easily thinking that he’d get a call. Stalteri chases referee Mike Reily to the halfway line arguing the foul. But nothing of course. We are Fulham, the team with no breaks.

60- A scramble in front of the goal and Dempsey just misses. We are Fulham!

62- Announcers talking about how Fulham have had no luck this year. Understatement of the year. We are Fulham!

63- Johnson does well and gets in, lays a pass off, falls to Dempsey who gets dropped in the box. No call, We are Fulham. Ball goes the other way and this game is really opening up.

66- McBride on for Dempsey. Two up top now. Roy is going for it. He has to. We don’t need a draw. We need 3 points.

67- Ball into the box and a header is deflected. Fulham corner. Ball hits Hughes in the head, as I don’t know if he even saw it coming. Nothing.

69- Foul on Bullard. Looks like he takes a good knock to the thigh. Could end up with a dead-leg on that one.

71- Pace has slowed down again with a lot of fouls from Rovers.

71- Andreasen fouls to the right of the box and 30 meters out. The ball almost beats Keller but the shot was struck just barely wide by Pederson’s free kick.

75- Fulham are starting to give away stupid fouls. Ball into the box and a slight touch goes right to Keller with pace. Keller makes the catch.

76- Davies breaks down the left, if he can cross he’s got Johnson who has broken in at goal, but the ball is blocked.

77- Blackburn with a free kick and a long spell of possession in and around our box resulting in a shot wide. GK Fulham

79- Five Fulham players break. 5 v 3, Johnson clear on the right, Konchesky with the ball and ends up trying to go square and misses his pass and ball is taken over by Blackburn. Horrible decision and pass by Konchesky. We needed that.

82- After some possession and attack by Fulham, the ball comes clear and Rovers go on the attack with a breakaway. But Stalteri slows things down by fouling. The team has done well in the 4-4-2. Stalteri, Hangeland and Andreasen have done a great job of slowing play on the counter. I think we certainly have the defensive players in place now to play in this sort of a formation.

83- Fantastic save by Keller as Jason Roberts breaks through two defenders with a flick on played to him. He goes to Keller’s right who comes out decidedly and blocks as he spreads himself wide and goes down.

84- Murphy off, Healy on, 4-3-3 Desperate times.

87- Looping through-ball to Johnson. Ball comes down, Johnson goes up and foot hits Johnson in the face. Or at least comes close enough for him to go down in a heap. Fulham from just atop the arc of of the box and slightly right. This is Jimmy Bullard territory. Konchesky touches the ball, Bullard hits, YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bullard and the lucky slippers hit again. Fulham 1-1 Blackburn. We did deserve that. We are FULHAM! We’ve certainly played well enough. I’ll take a point. But the game is still on and Blackburn continue to attack.

90- I guess we need to take the point. We have possession but we seem to be content in getting the point as were holding but no one is attacking.

91- Another ball into Johnson on the outside of the goal, left side and again he goes down to easily. GAM needs to learn to stay on his feet. He’s not going to get calls on that. This isn’t MLS.

93- Healy goes down in the box going for a high ball and it could have been called a penalty. But he goes down easily looking for the call and Reily will have nothing of it and give Healy a yellow. Roy Hodgson is shown on the bench laughing. Not sure if he’s laughing at Healy for going down or for Reily not giving us much all day.

Final

30 games away and still no win. But today I’ll take the draw. The camera shows the Stalteri and Pederson debating for a couple of minutes after the game about the non-call and goal between Pederson and Stalteri. Not heatedly, respectfully, but Stalteri is visibly upset.

Every point is huge and I’ll take this today. As I stated previously, EJ needs some time which we don’t have right now. But he certainly brings to the table something that Fulham have not had all season and that is pace up front. Bullard was man of the match but others deserve credit as well. Keller had a good game as did Andreason and Hangeland.

Final stats: