Deja Vu again - FUL 3 - 0 WBA

I do like night games And the round of Premier League matches this midweek were so interesting that I think it should be done more often. Fulham fans were spoilt on Thursday nights last season, especially considering the results the team achieved, so let's have some more.
Most people are getting giddy about this game and how it's a corner turned, but it was just a bit more of the same for me, the only difference being that WBA couldn't defend for toffee. It kind of felt like the false dawn experienced after the comfortable dismantling of Wigan in October which was followed up with 8 games without a win. Still Fulham were due their slice of luck the way things have been going this season - hopefully it won't have all come in the same match.
The first half was almost ruined for me by the incessant prattling of someone behind me comparing everything to the computer games Fifa 11 and Football Manager. It really was tiresome.  Fortunately it seemed to be for his mates as well, as he barely mentioned either game in the second half after they took the mickey out of him. I don't know where they were supposed to be sitting, but they were marauding around the stand like scavengers looking for free seats that they could sit near some people they know. Hey, at least they turn up, unlike Ish these days. I do wonder why he renewed his season ticket again. I think he's missed the last six.
The goals Fulham scored from corners were ridiculously easy, so much so it begs the question why Simon Davies is so keen to take short ones all the time. But in this game they were helped by the diminutive size of the makeshift West Brom back line and Scott Carson seemingly suffering from post traumatic stress disorder after his attempt at a save in the first half from Davies' hopeful shot just speared the ball into the top corner, much to the astonishment of the Hammy End.
Johnny P had one of his more random games, while the rest of the squad continued some decent form without looking too dangerous. The subs Eddie Johnson and Riise were woeful in the short time they had though. The former didn't even get a touch and the later looked concussed. It was a shame - he was occasionally effective last season.
As to where Steve Sidwell fits into this team I don't know. It's the strikeforce that needs strengthening as a priority, not the midfield.

Cutting Edge - TOT 1 - 0 FUL

It was another decent performance from Fulham against a Spurs side that spent most of the match in third gear, but a lack of cutting edge does not mean you are unlucky - it means you can't score. Spurs have incisiveness all over the pitch and it showed. When the team finally decided to wake up, which was about 30 minutes in, Spurs pressured until they got their goal (in essence an opportunistic deflection from a harsh free-kick) but the writing was on the wall.
Spurs' two wingers, Bale and Lennon, were very dangerous when they were given the right service, but fortunately for Fulham that didn't happen too often. Unfortunately it happened enough, with Bale's instinctive flicked header putting the ball in the opposite side of the goal to a leaden footed Schwarzer.
It was harsh on the team wearing the Middlesbrough kit, who had been quite comfortable and at times quasi-dangerous in the first half. But for all Fulham's possession and tidy passing, there was no real goal threat.
Part of the problem was that Fulham, appeared to be second to every loose ball - considering the attacking unit currently appears to be set up to capitalise on random headers and flicks from long punts forward this was a bit of a surprise. Maybe it was the youthful nature of the Spurs' players compared to the ageing Fulham team that allowed them to react more quickly to loose balls, or maybe it was a heightened level of anticipation that the better players have, but t seemed that whenever the Fulham players made a loose touch they lost the ball, but when Spurs slightly miscontrolled they were able to retain possession.
This all sounds a bit down - Fulham did play well. We actually saw what Hughes was talking about when he said Etuhu could make a difference up front - this was Dickson's most positive game for a long time and if he had belief in his left foot he might have scored (or at least have a shot) from the best passing move of the first half. Given the quality of their immediate opposition, both Paintsil and Baird did okay at full back. I even heard a muted rendition of 'We've got Bairdinho' from the away fans). Murphy pulled strings in the middle; Duff and Johnson made some good runs. However there were very few shots on goal.
I saw a report somewhere that suggested that Fulham were playing on the counter attack, which was total cobblers in my opinion. Fulham just aren't quick enough to play on the counter attack, both in body and mind. The loss of Johnson's searing pace doesn't help, but the forwards never seem to be in a big rush to press forward, giving time for enough defenders to get back. And once they had more weight in numbers, the Spurs centre halves dealt with almost everything thrown at them, even if there were some desperate blocks to equally desperate long range shots towards the end.
This was my first trip to White Hart Lane and I quite liked the stadium - it has some character. However the home crowd were really, really quiet. The Fulham fans weren't much better, in fairness, but they were better. I was a bit disappointed if I'm honest - I've been very impressed with Spurs' away support both at the Cottage and at Wembley, but this seemed to be a different demographic completely. Maybe it was because it was New Year's Day, maybe it was because 'the Lane' has had more prestigious visitors this season in the Champions League than little old Fulham, but the crowd was as flat as the game.
While Fulham might be in the relegation zone at the moment things are tight enough down there not to be overly worried, but it's a big game at home on Tuesday night. Both the team and the manager need a win that will take them out of the drop zone, but to do that Fulham need some goals. It's been a month since a Fulham striker has scored and this is something that Hughes desperately needs to address if he is to maintain his reputation as a good manager.

Meet the 'fans' - Andy

A weedy capitulation to one of the country's worst teams live on TV only to then wrest three points from the Britannia Stadium a few days later is one of the more puzzling aspects of this Fulham side. But they still sit in the relegation zone so this next week will be very, very important.
'
Anyway here's another exciting profile:

Name: Andy
Season tickets held: 2007/8, 2008/9, 2009/10, 2010/11
Hometown: Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester
Football team supported: Manchester United (with affiliations to Preston North End and Oldham Athletic)
Why did you get a Fulham Season Ticket? I wanted to create a regular social occurrence with some of my friends. We all liked football and the £299 season ticket was too good value to turn down.
Favourite Game: Last season's home game against Juventus has absolutely mental, but for sheer emotion the Hamburg semi-final home leg  was something else. From my mad dash back from Madrid, to the 'stand up if you still believe' chant, to the Simon Davies goal, to the 2-1 victory and grown men crying in the stands, to the victory and my first pint in a pub for nine months which lasted approximately 9 seconds.
Favourite Goal: Again trying to avoid the Juve game - Diomansy Kamara's last minute overhead kick that made it 3-3 against Tottenham Hotspur in September 2007. I think that's when I got the bug.
Favourite Player: As much as I love Johnny Paintsil, I think Clint Dempsey has to take this accolade. He has a lot of attributes that I like in a player.
Least favourite player: Sol Ki-Hyeon - what an absolute waste of space
What do Fulham now mean to you? I honestly don't know. I'm an enthusiastic spectator but does the mania go beyond that? They won't replace United as my first love, despite how lukewarm I am about the current administration there, but will they elbow Preston from the number 2 slot? They should but there is a finite capacity for football supportage than many believe I have already transcended by having more than one team.

Meet the fans - Nicky

As we didn't make it to Sunderland and none of us will be around for the West Ham game either, I thought I'd do the odd profile piece on the people who have had a season ticket with us. These could be representative of the influx of season ticket holders over the last couple of years - people like us who have adopted Fulham as a 'second team' while living in London.

Name: Nicky
Season tickets held: 2008/9, 2009/10, 2010/11
Hometown: Twickenham
Football team supported: Manchester United
Why did you get a Fulham Season Ticket? Cheap, nearby and the side were likable
Favourite Game: Fulham 4 - 1 Juventus last season
Favourite Goal: Clint Dempsey's goal v Juventus
Favourite Player: Bobby Zamora (I always love the underdog)
Least favourite player: Dickson Etuhu
What do Fulham now mean to you? I like to see them do well and enjoy going to watch them.

The Nearly Men - ARS 2 - 1 FUL

Fulham gave a good account of themselves at The Emirates, but don't seem to be able to get that bit of luck to take them to the next level. Nasri gave Arsenal all the points with a couple of instances of dancing in the box, but it could so nearly have gone the other way. Not that you would have thought that from the first 20 minutes. Fulham were filth with no discernable game plan and Arsenal were just gliding  past the mainly static white shirts. Even when Nasri scored, the writing had been on the wall for some time, and most of the Fulham fans were anticipating another drubbing.
However, for some reason, it just didn't happen. The first proper bit of football that Fulham played in the first half culminated in Kamara's well taken equaliser from Dempsey's deft flick and then, suddenly, Arsenal were rocking and uneasy. There were still no obvious tactics, but Fulham started making more chances and were probably unhappy that the half-time whistle came when it did.
Half time came, allowing us to be sold stuff through the big screens. Surprisingly Arsene Wenger read out the 'lucky number' winner on what i assume to be a pre-record VT - which raises some questions as to when the draw was actually made. Fulham fans weren't that noisy today, but crikey the Emirates is a quiet place at times. What you get from north London is the perfect distillation of modern football, with all its good and bad points.
Arsenal had played some good stuff in the game, but you could sense a soft underbelly of uncertainty within the team, and when the second half started Fulham tried to press the advantage. The game actually became quite good - one of those strange end to end game without many shots on goal.
The major tactical revolution for Fulham was playing a right winger on the right wing. Davies was tasked with sticking on the byline and suddenly Fulham had an 'out' ball and any crosses could be aimed at the trio of Kamara, Gera and Dempsey. Unfortunately Arsenal's centre halves managed to cope with that aerial threat, but other teams are likely to struggle a bit more. Davies was actually a bit of a revelation on the right and was possibly Fulham's best player in the second half.
Even Etuhu upped his game and started making some crunching tackles that have disappeared from his game recently. Suddenly Fulham were up for it, but were undone by a great bit of skill when Nasri ran into the box unhindered and scored a goal straight off Strictly Come Dancing. It was a bit of rough justice really though. Andy Johnson was busy without being dangerous, and Dempsey hit the deck in injury time in the penalty area which was definitely worth another look (not that MOTD has bothered showing it), but in the end the team had given themselves too much to do.
While the way the team played was very promising (most of the Fulham fans clapped the team off the pitch) shouldn't we be expecting more that 'promising'  with almost half the season gone? A win against Sunderland next week would be very, very welcome.