Speechless. Roy Hodgson has guided us to many stupendous results, but this was on another level altogether. Never have we had to deal with an onslaught like that.
It started very well. We nearly went ahead in 30 seconds, and did go ahead in 2 minutes, Zoltan Gera driving home from the inside left channel.
Any hopes that we might have caught Shakhtar on an off day were soon dashed when we didn’t see the ball again for 45 minutes. Their tempo was extraordinary. Slow passes around the defence, all the time in the world, then in the blink of an eye the team was skitting around our area. How? Their change of pace and movement was like nothing we’ve seen before. Their attacking play was like that of a basketball team in a hurry, all flips and dinks and all perfectly controlled.
A goal had to come and did, Luiz Adriano scorching onto a through ball and rounding Schwarzer for a scintillating and thoroughly deserved equaliser.
We think of players like Danny Murphy and Simon Davies as good technicians, but the Shakhtar players were light years ahead of the best we could offer. That they only broke through once is a testament to our defence. That we got back into the game is down to the manager. At half time the task seemed hopeless, but the players had to get the ball in the Shakhtar half, had to keep it better, and had to hold a higher line to keep the orange and black attackers away from our penalty area.
And somehow it worked. Fulham noticeably upped the tempo, and while the moves lacked the cohesion of Shakhtar’s efforts, it re-established us in the game, proved that we weren’t going to take this lying down. Gera and Zamora were intelligent in leading the line, using the ball increasingly well and pressuring to just the right extent without the ball. The game became cat-and-mouse: Shakhtar passed patiently, waiting for a Fulham player to lose his position, waiting for someone to over-commit, but the whites stood firm and didn’t budge, and soon the game was even again.
And then… Hangeland passed through to Gera, Gera’s balletic flick to Zamora, Zamora thumps home from 25 yards with his right foot, flicking the bar, buried in the net. A howitzer, a monster, an absolute screamer, and somehow we’re ahead, and somehow we’re still in the tie, and somehow we’re about to beat the UEFA cup holders and one of the best teams I’ve ever seen.
This is where we are now. This is what we can do. This is football at its best, as good as we will see.
(After that slightly excitable initial ending, a quiet word for Stephen Kelly. The left-back has had a difficult time of late, but put in a shift and a half tonight. Some of his tackling was from the top drawer. That took guts, ability, and some sturdy help from Simon Davies. Well done to him.)
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Agree. Thought Kelly did well. Despite all their possession, however, Shaktar didn’t get too many clear chances. Hangeland looked dodgy again in the first half, a lot better in the 2nd. Dickson had a poor game I thought. Bobby was magnificent, and one of the best goals scored at the Cottage. A mention to Mark Schwarzer for a tremendous save in the final minute of injury time – would have been a heart breaker if that had gone in, to rival the Roma one. Love to know what Sir Roy said to them at half time, but we were well in it in the 2nd half and could have had another goal from Bobby with a bit of luck.
Etuhu was terrible. Hopefully that was just one to get out of his system. Were Shaktar timewasting at the start of the second half, or just trying to draw the Fulham players forward in an attempt to get more space in behind them? It seemed such a bizarre tactic.
Don’t think it will be enoughto progress, but at least they’ve given themselves a fighting chance.
I thought Shakhtar were absolutely mesmerising in the first half, different from anything we see in the Premiership. I was amazed by the weight of their passes to each other – all hit hard and fast without fear, because they were all so confident in each others’ exemplary first touches. We couldn’t get near them.
At half time I was convinced they would run out 1-3 winners or similar. I disagree slightly with your assessment of the second half – I thought the turnaround was down to Shakhtar taking their foot off the gas rather than us doing anything particularly different. They seemed happy with the 1-1 and were content to simply pass it accross the back line – silly really because they surrenedered the initiative, giving us some respite and eventually a foothole.
Once Bobby scored (and what a goal) they were soon all over us again and we were hanging on at the end. It will be massively difficult in Ukraine but at least we’ve given ourselves a chance…
I was going to say pretty much all this, not so well, and now don’t need to. Rich’s original post is also how I saw it.
It the first half they served up the best football of its type I have ever witnessed live and actually the defence worked miracles keeping them, somehow, at bay.
Absolutely my view as well. To beat a team of that quality was quite exceptional.
Think Dickson & Danny both struggled to stamp their authority on the midfield, but that was largely down to the ability of the opposition. Shakhtar had quality in every position and controlled the middle of the park for most of the game. 2nd half we fought back well but I’m still not sure how we managed to win it. Great goal from Bobby.
Fully agree about Kelly. Made some very important challenges.
Thought Shaktar were all a bit over complicated. Impressive build up leading to nothing… Or was that our back 4 stamping it out…
Great game, and what an atmosphere. Crowd were brilliant.
0-0 is not beyond the bounds over there is it?
OK. I just watched a full replay of the game on UEFA.com. While I can certainly see why if you saw the match live with all the emotion you could get the impression that this is one of the best sides we’ve ever played, in the cold light of day (knowing the result, having read all the comments) it seemed to me that we were the absolute equals of this team. This was no smash and grab. Hodgson played them like a fiddle.
I put Shakhtar about the level of a Premiership team in that traditional (in Prem terms) band below the big 3/4 (Villa, Everton, Man City, Spurs), but no more. As far as I can tell based on this match alone, they are a slightly better version of us under Tigana. Technically brilliant, crisp passing, but basically one-track. Give them too much space and they’ll rip you apart. But stay tight, ensure you’ve got men back in numbers and you can have them.
I don’t think they dictated the play today. Rather I think the game panned out more or less exactly as Hodgson had hoped. They had a lot of the ball, but besides the goal and the shot at the end saved by Schwarzer (which was a chance created on the rebound from a cross, so pretty ordinary in that) they didn’t create much at all. They were doing all that passing at the back during their “dominant” period in the first half as well and it seems fairly clear that they were doing it to try to draw us forward and create space for them to exploit: it’s their only tactic.
We, on the other hand, had comparatively little of the ball, but we looked menacing almost every time we came forward; our chances were real, not imagined, as most of theirs were. We kept the ball in their midfield, allowed them to play with it and look pretty, but we out-muscled them when needed, and broke incisively.
Even the goal itself, smacked of Roy’s tactical plan. With a team like this, a sweeper can effectively cut out their little passes into the box, and it seems as if Schwarzer was being asked to hold a higher line, or at least be aggressive in coming out. He was too aggressive in doing so for the goal and the striker was able to go around him. But I don’t think that that was necessarily a guaranteed goal because of the pass.
Having said that, that goal is huge and Shakhtar will still consider themselves favourites I reckon, because of their monster stadium and passionate crowd and our troubles on the road. Stopping them from scoring is going to be a huge ask and I reckon, to progress, we’ll have to nick a goal from somewhere, while playing our typical back-against-the-wall away system.
A few other points, from what was a really interesting game to watch:
(1) It’s great to have Davies back. I forgot how good he is. He and Duff look excellent on the flanks and we’ve hardly missed Dempsey since he’s been back;
(2) I don’t think it can be doubted that Zamora and Gera are our best attacking pair. They seem to have an innate understanding, setting each other up for their goals with some lovely passes and great movement;
(3) Zamora must now get an England call-up. On this form, he is far and away the best No. 9 in England. Shakhtar couldn’t handle him, his movement, strength, passing or shooting. An absolutely awesome display. He seems made to partner someone like Rooney.
Have a look at these stats from Sky Sports for a sense of what went down:
30.1 Possession 69.9
50 Territorial Advantage 50
Shakhtar had 70% of the possession yet the ball on average spent it’s time on the half-way line. That smacks of a well thought out plan by Hodgson.
You are probably right. But it was definitely one of those “being there” nights, too. We’ve already had enough people saying they’ve seen nothing like that to realise that we probably saw something special. As such it must go down as one of the more heroic, disciplined defensive performances of recent times.
The slow passing was like a shark circling its prey. I don’t think that was them taking their foot off the gas, they were waiting for us to break our shape, lose concentration, then slice through us like lightning. I found these spells riveting, even though the Cottage crowd was booing.
As for our first half, for a team of Brazilians, Shakhtar didn’t half press hard. It put the likes of Etuhu under serious pressure, and his technique couldn’t cope with it.
However, his defensive shift was vital. Simon Davies might have had his best defensive game in a white shirt, but the rest of the midfield absolutely had to stand tall (and not get dizzy). Etuhu’s presence in the middle of the park was possibly more valuable than it appeared.
So yeah, I think you’re right, Roy knew what was coming and somehow he put together a plan to stop it. If we can somehow do it again….
How about this analogy? If last night they were Wenger’s Invincibles or Guardiola’s Barca, we were Arrigo Sacchi’s AC Milan or George Graham’s Arsenal. Highly recommend watching the game again. I think we pretty much perfected our style last night.
I’m happy with that and did indeed leave the ground feeling that I had seen something new from our players, like we’d got to a tipping point of sorts where we had indeed “got it”.
If we can sustain this, we may find we have a new lease of life away from home.
I largely agree with the other sentiments about the game: Shakhtar flexed their muscles and yet could only score, albeit incredibly important, a single goal.
Yet, I was impressed by the Fulham defense bending, bending, and bending some more to the Shakhtar attack late. I fear that it may come to that again on the road and I doubt Fulham will have the benefit of a lead should it come to that.
Still, Zamora’s goal will be remembered for years to come, as will the result. I still have a stupid grin on my face when I think about what I just saw.
Just finished watching the replay on UEFA.com as well. If you had asked me at halftime if I would take a 1 all result, I would have jumped at the opportunity afer the way that the first half had ended.
We sat way too deep in the first half. Our two banks of four were almost one at times. This was a big difference in the 2nd half as our midfield pushed forward and didn’t just concede that turf like we had in the 1st. But even with us on our heels for most of the first half, Shakthtar didn’t create that many chances.
What a cracker by Zamora. The touch by Gera to send him on was sublime, but Zamora’s finish was wonderful (and with his weaker foot).
Is it enough? Probably not, but we have given ourselves a great chance in the 2nd leg. If we can nick a goal, our chances for success go up dramatically.
Exhausted- and I was a mere spectator. Breathless – and I was sitting down. Heartened because all the pensioners in the Riverside were shaking their heads and muttering 3-1 to Shaktar. Delighted at the wisdom of Roy who had to reason his team back into the match. puzzled that after the Zamora ( DIOP) of a goal we did not see Riise on to add a little pace or Smalling in place of Etuhu – big enough, quick enough and classy enough to go striker at Bolton,
why not restore our confidence in midfield?
Never mind because we did hold on and the Schwarzer final save means we won and we travel in hope.
Can Roy rest them and then lift them for a dour old ding-dong with the Brum? Keep your clappers they worked against Brum on their last visit to our “fortress”
What an amazing game! I didn’t think we played the offside trap game, but we got burned on that one. The second Zamora goal was so great. With all that possession that Shakhtar had in the first half, I’m more than pleased they came away with only one goal. If we get one in Ukraine, I think we go on to the next round.
Great game.
The skills they showed on the ball was amazing – but like rjbiii said, one trick pony – or lacking a big centre forward. I was saying to my mates that we are the master of watching teams pass the ball at the half way line then have long shots for 40m out. I just thought they were getting into the box more than most of the teams we have played.
Kelly did have a good game, but I still thought against a fast team like Shaktar we were a bit slow at left and right back.
Like I said before the Basel game – we need 2 goals away to go through. There is no way we can keep a clean sheet.
The other things I was thinking last night:
– at the end of the first half I think we were really panicking. Doing stupid things with the ball.
– 2nd half they did slow down a lot. I am sure that was the lack of match fitness I was hoping for.
http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/uefacup/manualstories/europaleaguehighlightswatchliverpoolfulhamevertoninaction23256/default.html
roy and Murphy reaction and highlights here
Got home just in time to catch the half-time analysis on ITV4+1. They were full of praise for Shaktar and it seemed FFC had no chance. But from the second half performance Shaktar seemed to be just a counter-attacking team and Fulham kept their concentration and shape to nullify them. (Although from Rich’s report the first half performance from Shaktar sounds amazing).
And I’ve watched Bobby’s goal a few times and I keep thinking the ball will roll just another inch away from him and he’ll shank it to the corner flag. That is such a fine judgement to strike the ball that hard when it’s rolling across and away from you.
Three very different games in the one match. They did’t get a touch for the first three minutes (thank goodness we made it count with Gera’s goal); we didn’t get a touch for the next forty-two. Then a pretty even and fascinating second half.
Coming up to half time I was wondering what on earth Roy could pull out of the hat. A fit Dikgacoi might have helped. Remember how he took control when we were struggling against Portsmouth. Like others here I was disappointed with Etuhu.
Yes, they pressed well during their period of ascendency, but it was alarming was how we were incapable of stringing two passes together. The bottom line is, I suppose, that we have become masters of protecting our goal. For all their dominance in that first half, Schwarzer didn’t have that much to do.
I really believe that we can give them a run for their money in the second leg purely down to our physical presence.
One of my favourite things about the game was watching the entire Fulham team sway from side to side as Shakhtar passed the ball about, it was mesmerising.
I also think that Kelly was phenomenal last night, he didn’t put a foot wrong and his tackle at the edge of the area in the second half after we couldnt clear the ball was top drawer. He blocked a fair number of shots (incl one with his arse from point blank range)and this is certainly a strength in his game.
>One of my favourite things about the game was watching the entire Fulham team sway from side to side as >Shakhtar passed the ball about, it was mesmerising.
I was the same! The first time I saw that happen was when Italy played Australia at the last world cup in the round of 16 (don’t get me started on cheating divers.) Italy were down to 10 men and Australia were pressing, but could not get anywhere near the box. The Italian side moved in perfect unison – moving left and right, expanding and contracting, all in harmony, then counter attacking when given the opportunity. Watching Fulham do exactly the same thing last night, I was thinking that Roy must have got that from his time in Italy. It is why we are so good at sitting back and don’t get flustered (well, actually, I think we might have got a bit flustered by the end of the 1st half) by a side passing the ball like crazy to each other.
Beautiful to watch – both their ball control, and our defensive formation!
The best team I have ever seen at the Cottage, without a doubt. Their play was mesmerising at times but how frustrating if you were one of their fans with their weird obsession with taking their foot off the gas…Bobby was absolutely outstanding; not just the wonder goal, but his all-round play. A fantastic night and fantastic achievement. Now, we couldn’t hold out in the Ukraine could we?
A game for the history books. This is what European Cup football is all about. It’s made my season. A fantastic team performance under difficult circumstances (Zoltan just back from injury, Dickson recently back, a full back who hasn’t been in the team or in form and another out of position) and against the classiest opposition. We now go to Ukraine with a chance of progressing to the round of 16.
Kelly’s defending and grit was great last night and the experience of Murphy and Duff directing the team during the more difficult phases of the first half made the difference. Gera and BZ were fantastic together.
It’s the morning after the night before and I’m still on a high.
A fine summary of what seems the dominant view and is still mine, even having read and agreed — on here and TIFF — that Shakhtar weren’t the complete package as a team. Between the virtues each team displayed last night, largely complementary, almost everything that’s good about football was on show. A privilege and thrill to be there.
That’s exactly it. This was football at its best. Two equally-matched teams slogging it out in their different styles: not one super team matched by a super-human defensive display. The posts from AlexL and Geoff really do it for me.
Fulham played the game almost to perfection (with the exception of the panicky end to the first half when we lost our shape). Near flawless organization and movement without the ball, incisive counter-attacking with it. Italian football at its best, if you like that sort of thing.
This was clearly the game-plan and it worked. At the end of the day, we were the better side, looked more dangerous in attack, creating the better chances, rock-solid in the defense. I bet Hodgson’s going to be drilling his players with video of this match for some time. It could bode really well for our team’s development as it seemed last night that they truly “got it”.
There are some interesting stats on the telegraph site:
(1) While we all think Etuhu had a bit of a shocker, he has the exact same pass completion as Murphy (69%), yet more of his passes appear to have been to midfield and attack. He also had more “ball won” than Murphy (3 to 1). Second only to Kelly (4) in that.
(2) Baird made by far and away the most passes in the side (53; Murphy was second with 39), proving once again how important a position right-back is in our system. Right-back always seems the player who is tasked with bringing the ball forward and being the open pass. He and Duff paired up brilliantly, exchanging 31 passes between them respectively, BY FAR the biggest pairing in the team (Baird and Murphy were second passing to each other 14 times). What a player Baird is. His average position was not that much more withdrawn than Duff’s!
(3) Surprisingly, Gera and Zamora only passed to each other successfully 5 times. At least 4 of those, to my mind, resulted in goals or fairly clear-cut chances.
Roy has spoken before about pairs. All over the pitch are pairings that need to work out well. As you say, the Duff/Baird combo marched up and down the field together all game, but the Davies/Kelly double act was tenacious in defence. Wouldn’t have expected to say that.
I like, you would’ve about Davies I imagine but not Kelly. Perhaps Kelly just has had a bum time of it because somehow he’s always seems to have played when there’s a second-string player in front of him. Davies is a leader. Perhaps that’s all Kelly really needed with his confidence is so low.
God knows how we’re going to get Dempsey, Konchesky and Pantsil back in this side. Over the last few weeks we’ve looked a different side with Davies (last two games), Shorey and Baird being key figures.
Delete the “I like” at the beginning of the first sentence.
Danny Murphy.
About 5 minutes to go last night, I said to a mate “get Murphy off, he looks absolutely spent”.
He chased the ball to 4 Shakhtar players, stuck his foot in to block passes and a shot with a burst of amazingly high work-rate effort in the dying minutes. My mate said back to me “That is classic Danny Murphy, and why he played for Liverpool for so long, and why he is our captain. That desire to not lose when you have nothing left to give.”
Champion.
Got to be one of the most underrated players in the Premiership this past decade. Certainly I always confined him to categorization as an effective, bustling right-sided midfielder, with an eye for the occasional goal. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Shakhtar remind me of Barcelona, the way they move the ball slowly around the outside, pass after pass, waiting for a defender to get out of position, then all of a sudden Leo Messi (Luis Adriano) is behind your defense and they’ve scored. Great work by the defense to keep it to just the one. And as good as Shakhtar are, I don’t think a draw next week is out of the question.