Fulham (H) | PL | Post-Match Thread

[Norman kneejerk]

Superb analysis PC, I don't think we'll win the league this year and think the smear campaign is having a huge impact. However I think most of us (especially our generation) are not that entitled, it's a shit show being thrown at our club, it sickens me, I hope KDB, Johnny and Phil gets back to full fitness and we give a great account of ourselves, if we don't win anything it won't bother me one bit.

Very much agree with that.if we win the league great but its not why I go. Would only add I think the league winner normally has a player in the form of their life who carries the team. We have had many but not really got that atm.

 

[PragueBlue]

Yup. Gundogan was signed to come on as a sub and see games out, or to play in games where Kevin and/or Rodri needed resting. He'll get better, he's just rusty imo, but he's playing more than expected at this stage.

He doesn't need too be though. A midfield 3 of Kovacic, Bernardo and Foden would have decent balance and a bit of energy about it. Savinho would play wide right instead of Bernardo and Gundogan could be gently eased back in until he's ready to start games.

 

[Rammy Blue]

Yup. Gundogan was signed to come on as a sub and see games out, or to play in games where Kevin and/or Rodri needed resting. He'll get better, he's just rusty imo, but he's playing more than expected at this stage.

But the bizarre thing is he doesn’t need to be playing as much as he is, it’s hanging him out to dry. No reason whatsoever that Bernie can’t be alongside Kova with Savio out wide. Or even Phil out right with an extra midfielder playing.

 

[Blue Til Death]

He’s paid to make saves…just like Erling is paid to score. Just doing his job ….I should really post one of those pointless & unfunny gifs that you’re so fond of posting but can’t be bothered

 

[Blue Til Death]

Pep's stubborness is flashing red lights more than ever atm

 

[blue for life]

Was always going to be a struggle against an in form Fulham team plus us trying to figure life without Rodders but we pulled through

 

[blue for life]

Are the fanny wipes in abundance?

 

[.db.]

Shite...

View attachment 133991

Last season’s white and maroon away kit really was class!

 

[paulchapo]

Pep's stubborness is flashing red lights more than ever atm

Billy saw it coming......

 

[.db.]

It's pretty hard to describe that game. We started like a house on fire and should have scored twice. Just a matter of time we thought. Then Fulham had a couple of breaks and we were wobbling. Around me we all said we know what's coming next and bang, there it was, 1-0 down. Fulham could have scored a couple more, Ederson was great today, really saved us. At last somebody took a shot and we were level.

Second half we got in front and hoped to quickly add a third, sadly it didn't happen. Every single time Fulham attacked they looked like scoring and time and time again we got caught on the break. Fulham then incredibly did a City on us. They were pulling us all over the place and we couldn't get the ball. I've not seen us so totally dominated like that in a long time. An equaliser looked inevitable. Thank God Doku scored that screamer and we all thought we could breath a sigh of relief the points were safe. How wrong we were! Fulham kept going and scored another due to some poor defending. It was such a relief to hear the final whistle.

Credit to Fulham they deserved at least a point. Worryingly for us we looked shattered at times, very leggy. We are also getting caught time after time on the break and look as vulnerable as we did in Peps first season in defence. I hope a lot of our players pull out of the hated internationals, they need a rest.

Pep has a couple of weeks to think about how to try and tighten things up. Obviously Rodri is going to be a huge miss but we are going to have to come up with a solution. If Arsenal or Liverpool don't win the title this season they never will.

We really did look tired. I would say that a few of them did after half an hour.

Kovačić couldn’t believe he wasn’t taken off twice. Stood there with his hands on his knees shaking his head when firstly Foden went off and then Gundo went off. Looked fucked.

So did Gundo to be honest.

 

[Gundoggin]

3 pts

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Where would you play Nat & who would you leave out to fit him in ?

It's a question of playing the full squad now, rather than leaving people out as such. I think Pep's got that over to (most of) them now.
We're back into the two games a week caper. Or we were, until this stupid second international stop to proceedings, and we'll be back into it very rapidly. Akanji cannot play two games a week indefinitely, neither can Gvardiol. They're going to burn out. Nathan has show that he can do a job at left back or central defence. I'd rotate him in as soon as he's fit, in one or the other position, every other game (certainly the League Cup ones) or every third game. Not that I rate either Manu or Gvardiol lower than him. It's, as I say, a question of husbanding resources for the long haul of four trophies, potentially. We're in the enviable position of having four top quality central defenders, John, Rúben, Manu, Nathan and two players, Nate and Josko who can play centrally or in the left back position at the highest level (Johnny can supposedly play right back, but I'm not really convinced about that, actually). I don't see any other club in England, or in Europe for that matter, which has that kind of firepower in the back line. We have to use it. All of it.

 

[waspish]

Great 3 points is always good before a internationals break! Isn't there another one in November?

 

[bluesteel]

Went for the first time in a few years today. Rico looked out of his depth and I never think he looks like a defender anyway, he’s still young enough though but I don’t think he’ll be with us forever. Bernardo should be in the middle.

I took 4 kids with me (hence why I don’t go and won’t be going again for a while), I told the older two I didn’t think we’d win and if we did it’d be by a goal… So I was expecting what happened, it could have gone very differently that result with better finishing from Fulham in the first half.

They were really dangerous but if you don’t score your chances you get nothing.

 

[chesterbells]

CL away games for control /possession.

That’s true mate, agreed.

 

[Eccles Blue]

Whilst I agree with what @paulchapo and @hammocity have said I can’t in all conscience say that we will or won’t win the PL this season. Partly because I’m hopeless at making predictions but mostly because I’m of the generation that is just so thankful when we win a game!! :-)

However one thing I will say and I am adamant about is that every single player on that pitch today both City and Fulham gave 100%. I was going to put City and the Southern Softies but I couldn’t bring myself to insult a team who came to give us a game and they honestly did give us a game.
I’m glad about that because we needed the ‘work out’. But I reiterate they all gave us a game to remember. It’s a long time since I came away from a game not convinced that we were head and shoulders above the opposing team.
Today Fulham played well BUT so did we. Not one of our players was ‘bad’ some, and I’m not naming names it isn’t fair, weren’t as good as usual but we got value for money today.

Thank you City. Thank you Fulham. I enjoyed that game. I never once thought we would lose but there were a couple of times I thought it might be a draw.

Apologies for the ramble. :-)

 

[Chak19]

No legs, no creativity and utterly dull. Yes, they were no mugs, but my God, we were awful.

Jesus you'd think we lost this game and created nothing based on this comment, if scoring 3 goals including two superb strikes is utterly dull I wonder what you'd call Pearce's City.

 

[paulchapo]

Whilst I agree with what @paulchapo and @hammocity have said I can’t in all conscience say that we will or won’t win the PL this season. Partly because I’m hopeless at making predictions but mostly because I’m of the generation that is just so thankful when we win a game!! :-)

However one thing I will say and I am adamant about is that every single player on that pitch today both City and Fulham gave 100%. I was going to put City and the Southern Softies but I couldn’t bring myself to insult a team who came to give us a game and they honestly did give us a game.
I’m glad about that because we needed the ‘work out’. But I reiterate they all gave us a game to remember. It’s a long time since I came away from a game not convinced that we were head and shoulders above the opposing team.
Today Fulham played well BUT so did we. Not one of our players was ‘bad’ some, and I’m not naming names it isn’t fair, weren’t as good as usual but we got value for money today.

Thank you City. Thank you Fulham. I enjoyed that game. I never once thought we would lose but there were a couple of times I thought it might be a draw.

Apologies for the ramble. :-)

Totally correct. It must have been a great game for a neutral but it was a bit too nervy for me when every point we drop seems very important. Liverpool winning earlier added extra pressure.
The fact that a very good Fulham side played out of their skin, we looked a bit leggy and still won the game shows our tough mentality.

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

Whilst I agree with what @paulchapo and @hammocity have said I can’t in all conscience say that we will or won’t win the PL this season. Partly because I’m hopeless at making predictions but mostly because I’m of the generation that is just so thankful when we win a game!! :-)

However one thing I will say and I am adamant about is that every single player on that pitch today both City and Fulham gave 100%. I was going to put City and the Southern Softies but I couldn’t bring myself to insult a team who came to give us a game and they honestly did give us a game.
I’m glad about that because we needed the ‘work out’. But I reiterate they all gave us a game to remember. It’s a long time since I came away from a game not convinced that we were head and shoulders above the opposing team.
Today Fulham played well BUT so did we. Not one of our players was ‘bad’ some, and I’m not naming names it isn’t fair, weren’t as good as usual but we got value for money today.

Thank you City. Thank you Fulham. I enjoyed that game. I never once thought we would lose but there were a couple of times I thought it might be a draw.

Apologies for the ramble. :-)

No need to apologise. Honest opinions are welcome.

 

[OB1]

A narrow hard fought win, which was to be expected: Fulham have continually improved under Marco Silva and have the pace, aggression and technical quality to cause plenty of teams, including us, problems but City’s quality remains several notches above and City won again.

The defending does need to improve. Giving up some chances on the counter when we commit so many forward is understandable but cocnedeing two goals when there are plenty of men back is not what we should see from these players.

With KDB out, I’d like to see Kova, Bernie and Phil as the midfield. At the moment I’d prefer Gundo to be coming off the bench: that’s where he has been most effective this season.

Pep is still looking for his best team this season and has not been helped by injuries and players needing to get back to their best.

I just hope City will get add a midfielder in January who has pace and aggression to go with the requisite technical ability to play for City. I also hope Echeverri is good enough to go straight into the squad.

Whatever issues City have at the moment, they remain unbeaten this season and have still only lost one competitive game this calendar year. Things could be worse.