Mumblings on Monday
I can’t get over how solid the team looked as a unit on Sunday. Everywhere you looked somebody was doing his job well and working hard to help out a teammate. As a supporter this is great to see, particularly as part of a winning performance.
In the last days of the Sanchez empire the team had become so much less than the sum of its already dubious parts. Clint Dempsey, lowering his guard for a moment, suggested that the team had ended up trying to “jump the ball in”. It was a nice description of some not nice football.
But now things look different. Suddenly everyone out there is playing quite well, and, bizarrely, is somehow very likeable. Stalteri and Hughes are still in my thoughts now, two men who seem, on the surface, to be throwbacks to another time when players let their football do the talking and got on with doing a solid and unspectacular job. You could almost imagine either in a 50s private eye film (Paul Stalteri as Sam Spade?), but we’ll save that thought for another day.
The difference between Sunday, when Danny Murphy led and received a standing ovation, and previous games, where half the crowd would boo Seol or Baird or Kamara was staggering. Not to get too middle class or anything*, but it was a much more enjoyable afternoon. I hated the last few games after Sanchez. Not just because of the losing or the football, but because of the negativity in the air, because of that booing. Now we all see hope. There is a great sense of optimism, that we can all be part of something thrilling.
Many of us have said that it might be more fun to win a few games in the Championship, but I wonder if those wins could ever feel like this one. Would there not be a slight feeling of expectations being met after every win? I’ve said before that I don’t get Chelsea supporters: they turn up, and either they’ll wander along to another boring win or they’ll be bitterly disappointed by everything else. Where’s the hope? Where’s the prolonged drama in that? Can they ever feel like we did yesterday? Doubt it.
But we shouldn’t get too carried away by one very solid performance - football teams blow hot and cold all the time (look at Boro!) - and now is the time to really be careful. I am, as long-time readers will know, quite prone to only seeing the good side in these situations, while conveniently ignoring everything else. We’re looking good though, eh?
* this is as good a place as any to admit that I took avocado, red onion and cumin sandwiches to Anfield this year. I feel much better for having admitted that, finally.
“Can they ever feel like we did yesterday?”
this rhetorical question is good :)
COYW!
cartmanxxl
17 Mar 08 at 5:53 pm
I know i’m not the only one wondering this. What in the hell is an avocado, red onion and cumin sandwich. On the surface, it doesn’t sound good at all. I don’t remember ever seeing one of those at Boots in London.
Adam S.
17 Mar 08 at 6:46 pm
Well it’s half a guacamole recipe really. The whole thing fell to bits in my bag anyway, so there you go.
weltmeisterclaude
17 Mar 08 at 7:46 pm
eisssssh!
bqfootball
17 Mar 08 at 8:54 pm
Avocado, red onion and cumin?? It really could only have been Fulham for you.
Sunday’s performance was wonderfully solid, committed and organised and unlike any Fulham team in my recent memory. Match by match that’s been growing under Hodgson - we’re conceding almost nothing (nothing fair anyway) and an attacking dimension is being added.
The criticism of Johnson astonishes me. Hodgson seems to want a pacy mobile, physical presence up front to unsettle defences and provide space for others and that’s exactly what Johnson is providing.
He had 4 shots (admittedly wild) and is criticised for that yet if he continues to have a go some of these will go in.
Because there’s nothing mercurial about our recent performances I see no reason why they can’t be repeated and maybe, just maybe, we’ll win a few now because we’re quite simply, better than the opposition.
I will be bitterly disappointed and very surprised if we simply fold at Newcastle - I think we’ll maintain this level of performance at least.
Tony Gilroy
18 Mar 08 at 8:48 am
Something that I feel hasn’t been touched on as much as it should be, is that the Fans on Sunday were Amazing!
Unfortunately, I wasn’t at the game so I can’t comment too much, but from the coverage on Sky sports the Fans were noisey all afternoon!
More often than not, when I go to the Cottage, the atmosphere is a bit of a let down. I often get the chance to use my friends spare season ticket at Fratton Park and the Portsmouth fans are noisey all of the time, the atmosphere is always electric. It must give the players a massive lift, knowing your fans are behind you at all times.
I don’t like to use the phrase “the fans can be the 12th man” as it is generally overused. However, I really do think it can make a massive difference to a teams performance.
If the fans continue to show the support that they did on Sunday and the players play as well as they did. I think we may just do it!
COYW!
AFJ
18 Mar 08 at 1:36 pm
Yes it was a great day all round.And,no,I don’t expect anything less than a fully committed display at Newcastle.
Whilst I hesitate to find fault with Eddie Johnson’s performance,I am reminded of a promising young talent called Collins John,who always came up short,wasn’t quite good enough.
I could be wrong but frankly I found more to enthuse over in the recent displays of Nevland who does,actually,look as if he knows where the goal is.
And while one swallow did not a Summer make,I basked in a warm glow on Sun. eve.
thin white duke
18 Mar 08 at 3:25 pm
One of the announcers at the Everton match mentioned how the Cottage could be one of the quietest places in the EPL at times. That’s unfortunate, if true, but I know it’s harder to be vociferous when not playing well. Those of us here in the States can’t directly contribute, despite our yelling and cheering at our televisions, but we lend our support to the Fulham fans who attend the matches. Make the Cottage a fortress!
On EJ, it’s too early to judge him. He’s adjusting to a much tougher and better league than he came from. He’s had some rough patches but I think the potential is there. If he gets that first goal, things will smooth out for him.
BC
19 Mar 08 at 3:50 am