Fulham Vs Tottenham: Match Thread

[Wellspurs]

I think the replay will be on ITV because there isn't any Champions League that week.

 

[StanSpur]

I thought Crouch played really well and so did Bale, we wasn't creating much and when we hit it long to Crouch 9 times out of 10 he won the ball controlled it and did good placed knock-downs, but so many times Pav was way off the mark either too far behind or in no mans land.

He was so poor it was unreal where was the Pav of last week running around and really wanting to 'prove a point' Arry needs to rip the piss out of this guy to make him play again.

I think the difference is that Pav is better with Defoe than Crouch. Pav comes deep to link up the play which does leave him out of position when crouch knocks down the long balls. Not Pav playing badly, just not playing in the right way with Crouch as his partner. Defoe works with both as he plays the high line which complements both crouch or pavs style.

As for Bale, he was good but not as effective as when playing at LB simply because he's not used to the positioning of a LM/W. His normal game is looking forward with nobody behind and running into the space. In midfield he has to be aware of BAE behind him and try and draw players and time runs to link with the defence and attack. Something he could learn but not something he is used to at the moment. Again not his fault and his workrate certainly made up for the lack of flying runs.

 

[14/04/91]

I thought Bale in particular tried to inject some pace into the game whenever he got on the ball; Fulham were so deep and constantly got 9 men behind the ball quickly that it was difficult to play round them.

I was astonished at Fulham's lack of interest in trying to win the game - at home in the quarter finals of the FA Cup and they looked like they're playing for penalties already. People go on about Roy Hodgson but frankly he's in the same category as Megson, Allardyce, McCarthy, Pulis, O'Neill and Benitez- all they're interested in is keeping a clean sheet and it's making English football very, very dull.

 

[StartingPrice]

Playing Bale at LM made him completely ineffective on Saturday, yes he beat his man a couple of times but never had the same space he has been recently been seeing... Modric in centeral midfield was completely neutralised by their midfield and again we frustrating hit Crouch with the long ball far too often.

Was disappointed by the result as despite all that we were the better team, lets hope we can do them at the Lane.

Palacios was amazing too

He wasn't completely ineffective at all, he beat his man more than a couple of times and if our forwards ever start attacking the space at the near post we'd really start to benefit from his crosses.
The fact was that Fulham defended in numbers and did it very well so there was very little space to be had, ironically against that set up I don't think Hud's presence would have made a great difference as there was no space behind their defence for him to play that lovely pass to Defoe for Pav's goal last week.
We will do them at the lane don't worry.

Baler was neutralised for large parts of the match - it was only in the second half when Modric began coming out left and preventing the Fulham defence from doubling (I even saw trebling) up on him that Bale came into the game, but that, of course, negated the whole purpose of playing Modric out of positionas we were a player light in central midfield when he did this. He got a few crosses in, but nowhere near the number he has from full-back. He tried very hard, and, as said above, ejected some pace into the game. But the fact is that the 'pet project' of converting one of the most promising full-backs in the country into a winger (just sl we can bench/sell Modric and Krankjar) did not work. Blaming the strikers for not 'comnig across' or BAE for not 'overlapping' or Fulham for 'defending deep' does not alter this fact one iota.
Bale=exceptional full-back!
Bale=decent winger - which we don't need when we have Moddersd and Kranks!
End of!

 

[$hoguN]

I made the point Bale at left mid would get doubled up on and marked out of games, and thats what we did pretty much see. I was not criticising Modric when I said he was ineffective for large parts of the game at CM, but merely stating what I saw (this obviously was the result of Fulham' CM partnership playing well). Modric would have been far more threatening from the left and with Bale playing at LB.

 

[mil1lion]

I think having Modric on the left not only suits Bale, but it suits Pav too. When Modric comes infield, it causes a problem for the right midfielder. Does he follow Modric, or stay out wide? This is not only an area where Bale thrives, but it's also a channel Pav likes to work in aswell. The same could be said for Kranjcar on the left too really.

I thought Modric did a great job in the middle. And Palacios for me was MOTM alongside him. However, it wasn't the ideal game for Modric, certainly not in an attacking sense. Fulham closed the gaps and made it difficult to play through them. They also played 5 in midfield, which was always going to make it difficult for Modric in the middle.

It's a combination i wouldn't mind seeing again. Especially if we have Kranjcar on the left, and Lennon or Bentley on the right. But i think Huddlestone has to be the prefered option in the middle if available.

 

[spurs_viola]

I think having Modric on the left not only suits Bale, but it suits Pav too. When Modric comes infield, it causes a problem for the right midfielder. Does he follow Modric, or stay out wide? This is not only an area where Bale thrives, but it's also a channel Pav likes to work in aswell. The same could be said for Kranjcar on the left too really.

I thought Modric did a great job in the middle. And Palacios for me was MOTM alongside him. However, it wasn't the ideal game for Modric, certainly not in an attacking sense. Fulham closed the gaps and made it difficult to play through them. They also played 5 in midfield, which was always going to make it difficult for Modric in the middle.

It's a combination i wouldn't mind seeing again. Especially if we have Kranjcar on the left, and Lennon or Bentley on the right. But i think Huddlestone has to be the prefered option in the middle if available.

Exactly, good points. Fully agree, Modric from the left works much better with Pav as the link-up forward and Bale as LB - which was clear to see in the big improvement in style and performance when all 3 were playing that way recently.

 

[DC_Boy]

well said 14/4 about the Kings of Dull - fulham are right up there with the very dullest

I'll rep ya if I can

 

[worcestersauce]

SP I suppose I did blame the strikers for not attacking the space but that’s something I’ve been saying for a while now, instead of watching to see where the ball goes they should attack the space and make themselves an advantage should it go there, and it often will, Gary Lineker made a career on doing that.
I wouldn’t blame BAE for not overlapping he doesn’t do that and I’m happy with the style of player he is and we have to accept that Fulham did restrict our chances but they set up to do that and would have done so even with Bale at left back.
I guess my position is that I don’t see Bale as an excellent full back or an excellent left winger I just see him as fucking excellent and I haven’t seen a young player at the club with so much ability for decades I really do think he is that good, I just think the potential for what he can achieve is mind blowing and I therefore refuse to label him yet.
I don’t say he should play left wing I just refute the arguments of other people who say he shouldn’t and Saturday’s game certainly didn’t confirm that he shouldn’t by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[StartingPrice]

SP I suppose I did blame the strikers for not attacking the space but that’s something I’ve been saying for a while now, instead of watching to see where the ball goes they should attack the space and make themselves an advantage should it go there, and it often will, Gary Lineker made a career on doing that.
I wouldn’t blame BAE for not overlapping he doesn’t do that and I’m happy with the style of player he is and we have to accept that Fulham did restrict our chances but they set up to do that and would have done so even with Bale at left back.
I guess my position is that I don’t see Bale as an excellent full back or an excellent left winger I just see him as fucking excellent and I haven’t seen a young player at the club with so much ability for decades I really do think he is that good, I just think the potential for what he can achieve is mind blowing and I therefore refuse to label him yet.
I don’t say he should play left wing I just refute the arguments of other people who say he shouldn’t and Saturday’s game certainly didn’t confirm that he shouldn’t by any stretch of the imagination.

I know, and we've already largely agreed on all of this.

Sorry, I kinda made your post the vocal point for all of the various 'Bale the winger' comments, which wasn't really fair. As I have said, above, and elsewhere, I have no objection to him layng as a wniger at necessity; what my problem is is when he isd paying full-back, and Modric is playing on the left and they are linking up superbly, and there is no injury crisis to make Bale on the wing a necessity, and we Krankjar on the bench, and folk are going on about him 'beng a winger' (it has happened - note, not wanting him to 'play o the wing' but actually 'being a winger' and not a full-back). So, I know you aren't really extreme on this at all, and we largely agree - it is just that some obsessive behaviour has created a need in me to refute absolutely that he is a winger, as opposed to a full-back who can also pay on the wing when needed:up:

 

[invictaspur]

It makes your mouth-water thinking about what it could be like with a Lennon and a Bale firing on all cyclinders. Fulham or whoever couldn't possibly double up on both of them, but if they did...

 

[worcestersauce]

I know, and we've already largely agreed on all of this.

Sorry, I kinda made your post the vocal point for all of the various 'Bale the winger' comments, which wasn't really fair. As I have said, above, and elsewhere, I have no objection to him layng as a wniger at necessity; what my problem is is when he isd paying full-back, and Modric is playing on the left and they are linking up superbly, and there is no injury crisis to make Bale on the wing a necessity, and we Krankjar on the bench, and folk are going on about him 'beng a winger' (it has happened - note, not wanting him to 'play o the wing' but actually 'being a winger' and not a full-back). So, I know you aren't really extreme on this at all, and we largely agree - it is just that some obsessive behaviour has created a need in me to refute absolutely that he is a winger, as opposed to a full-back who can also pay on the wing when needed:up:

:up: 'nuff said