Match Thread Fulham 1-2 Everton. Sat Feb 7th. 3pm

[banno]

I can definitely see this.

We started well for 10 minutes then completely fell apart. The goal was calamitous and they hit the woodwork twice in the first half through Skid-Row and Chukwueze, I think it was. There were also very good opportunities for Sessegnon and another, with one shot closely wide and Pickford smartly out to save another.

We, on the other hand, offered nothing up front. We should definitely count ourselves lucky to have only been a single goal down.

I praise the manager for once again being able to encourage to the team to perform better after the break, but he's needs to be able to send them out and perform from the off. Better teams than Brighton and Fulham will put us to the sword if we play like that again first half.

Mate, 1st half we hit the post, Armstrong maybe should have scored, Barry was a whisker away from a cross and KHD had a good shot that should have been on target. We also had our chances so maybe we should have been 4-3 down at half time

 

[Jamo Martinez]

I've seen those goals disallowed before but they really shouldn't be. O Brien just stood his ground and the keeper made a mess of it.

A couple odf seasons ago, first game of the season at home to Fulham. Leno came about 15 yards off his line, jumped on one of our players and fell. We stuck the loose ball in the net but the goal was disallowed for a foul on the keeper.

I was 90% certain he was going to call a foul by O'Brien yesterday.

 

[evertony]

Moyes will look back on the game as a masterstroke to 'save' Branthwaite for Tuesday given we won the game, but sooner or later — for example immediately — he's going to need to drop his mate Michael Keane.

You cannot play your best central defender at left back and purposely weaken your centre half pairing as he found out against Brighton last week.

Providing he comes through the game ok against Bournemouth, and with the extended time he was given to regain fitness, AND with there being two weeks until our next fixture against United, now is the time to start each game with Jarrad unless he's not match fit.

I can live with Jake playing right back until the end of the season as Patterson genuinely isn't really a step up from him, and Moyes is right in that JOB provides a great aerial threat in both boxes.

I personally don't mind us seeing out games with four centre halves if we're two up, but we should never, ever start games that way again.

In fairness, on form it should be Tarky who drops out for JB not Michael Keane. Tarky hasn't really been as solid this season and got turned easily again a few times yesterday.

 

[evertony]

Enjoying a win and not thinking David Moyes is the right fit to take us forward aren't mutually exclusive. You can have both. It doesn't make you a bad Blue. All this Moyesettes and anti-Moyesettes is a bit odd. You either think he's the right man or you don't.

I think he's done a sterling job last season and has stabilised and improved us this season but I can't say I particularly want him to lead us into next season or beyond purely because I struggle watching the style of football, the shoe-horning of square pegs into round holes (or is it round pegs into square holes?), and his ignorance at reasonable questions in pressers etc.

Really good on the road because there's no onus on us to dictate the game and we are more than happy to soak up pressure and let the home team take the initiative. But at home our, and his, limitations become glaringly apparent.

 

[hallamblue]

What a season Pickford is having btw, another great game yesterday and even saved their goal, just very unlucky. Without him we'd be nearer the relegation zone than the top six.

 

[Miked1e]

What a season Pickford is having btw, another great game yesterday and even saved their goal, just very unlucky. Without him we'd be nearer the relegation zone than the top six.

Such a massive player for us…. He has kept us in it so many times.

No surprise he is constantly getting ‘saves of the month’ nominations.

Another worldly yesterday to keep it at 1-0.

Defence was all over the place again in that 1st half. And to think people actually agree with and like Keane playing and JOB at RB.

 

[DanB90]

Mate, 1st half we hit the post, Armstrong maybe should have scored, Barry was a whisker away from a cross and KHD had a good shot that should have been on target. We also had our chances so maybe we should have been 4-3 down at half time

People were going way overboard yesterday saying we should’ve been 4-0 down.

Fulham had a couple of pop shots that hit the bar, but everyone seemed to miraculously forget about the chances we had.

 

[Preki]

Such a massive player for us…. He has kept us in it so many times.

No surprise he is constantly getting ‘saves of the month’ nominations.

Another worldly yesterday to keep it at 1-0.

Defence was all over the place again in that 1st half. And to think people actually agree with and like Keane playing and JOB at RB.

I think Tarkowski has lost a yard of pace. His reactions are definitely slower. With Brathwaite fit he has a decision to make soon.

 

[Eggs]

 

[Miked1e]

I think Tarkowski has lost a yard of pace. His reactions are definitely slower. With Brathwaite fit he has a decision to make soon.

Definitely and that is more evident when he is playing next to Keane. Branthwaite is a much better partner for him and likewise possibly for Keane if it went the other way.

 

[Sharpies volley]

In fairness, on form it should be Tarky who drops out for JB not Michael Keane. Tarky hasn't really been as solid this season and got turned easily again a few times yesterday.

Keane gave it straight to their player for the goal. He did exactly the same later on giving them another chance. He gets dragged out of position time and again, he looses concentration and the back 4 look all over the place when he plays. He's not good enough.

 

[wiggytop]

Definitely and that is more evident when he is playing next to Keane. Branthwaite is a much better partner for him and likewise possibly for Keane if it went the other way.

Tarks and Keane together is a slow vulnerable partnership for the PL, swap either with either JOB or Jarrod and you have one player with pace and changes the dynamic totally, Moyes needs to make the change.

 

[hallamblue]

Tarks and Keane together is a slow vulnerable partnership for the PL, swap either with either JOB or Jarrod and you have one player with pace and changes the dynamic totally, Moyes needs to make the change.

We need to let Keane leave and sell Tarkowski in the summer, or at least drop him to the bench. JOB and Branthwaite should be first choice and then get 2 new young centre halves or promote 1 and buy one.

 

[davek]

I can definitely see this.
We started well for 10 minutes then completely fell apart. The goal was calamitous and they hit the woodwork twice in the first half through Skid-Row and Chukwueze, I think it was. There were also very good opportunities for Sessegnon and another, with one shot closely wide and Pickford smartly out to save another. We, on the other hand, offered nothing up front. We should definitely count ourselves lucky to have only been a single goal down.
I praise the manager for once again being able to encourage to the team to perform better after the break, but he's needs to be able to send them out and perform from the off. Better teams than Brighton and Fulham will put us to the sword if we play like that again first half.

Absolutely...and have.

 

[when i score we riot]

Moyes needs to have a think about he sets us up and then how he sends us out. Often the shape is well out of whack and we don't look interested?

Honestly hard to assess why but i have been thinking that its down to two things:
A - Both teams are struggling to suss each other out and adapt to each others tactics, leading to periods of very unbalanced, or for our sake, very introverted play
B - We are actively trying to conserve energy, and gain info about their game plan in the process, with the aim being to play low-risk football and letting the oppo chase, giving us a chance of having a big upper hand in later stages

At least that what i think the ideas would look like on paper. We all know the execution of them and what they actually look like is something completely different