Fulham v Aston Villa Post Match Thread

[SoccerHQ]

4-5 of those could well be playing v Man. City.

Just shows what our level is without Grealish and Mings in the 11 and it ain't premier league.

Need two signings next week imo, DS already said he's confident a striker will be signed before Man. City so we'll see if it happens.

We've won a single 3rd round game since 2015 and that was a replay v Wycombe.

[Chico Hamilton III]

Absolute pile of fucking shit.

[garyfouroaks]

t least we can concentrate on the league

[CT]

Still annoys me when we go out.

I get angrier about it as I get older. I'm 40 this July and am starting to feel my age. My dad was 14 the last time we won the cup and he's 77 now.

I'm a bit resigned that it won't happen while I'm alive too!

[Mister E]

As soon as you see Jota and Lansbury on the same teamsheet, you know the team is going to get bullied.
We have far too many mediocre players in the first-team squad!
Today was a chance for Smith to consolidate the 3-5-2 set-up and get the players more familiar with it (especially the keeper); and so he selects donkeys and plays them in the soft-centred 4-3-3 comfort blanket that he appears to have.

Not good enough ... not because we lost but because we went down without even a whimper.

Whilst I agree with your sentiment about Lansbury and Jota. I don’t really agree about them being bullied.
What you do know is they are going to be outplayed, out worked and out ‘efforted’. You don’t need to bully them.
Lansbury in particular is just a total and utter waste of time.

"It's bullying, Jim; not as we know it"

[Villafirst]

For me, still an element of negligence by Pitarch and Co for starting the season having recruited only one striker in the unproven Wesley. My gut feeling at the start, with only Davis (injury prone) and Kodjia as the strikers was the same as the Bruce defensive debacle in August 2018; too light in numbers and quality. We're now desperately scrambling around to try and bring another striker in.

[john e]

Do we really only have four quality players - McGinn, Grealish, Mings and Heaton.

I’d add Guilbert, Nakamba and Luiz albeit inconsistently. After that we have a lot of players who can play well but havent shown it consistently.

So basically we've got four quality players with the rest unreliable.

That's exactly where we are

[Clampy]

For a newly promoted team, that's not too surprising is it really, well the four quality players bit anyway.

[AV82EC]

Well another lovely day in West London with a crap football match added for extra flavour. There’s not much to say really other than meh and I don’t think Dean was that bothered judging by the bench and the level of effort displayed by the midfield and attack was pretty woeful. The 4-3-3 appeared again and I’ve come to the conclusion to make it work you need two really pacey, athletic and energetic wide men unfortunately we had El Khazi and Jota. Understandably we then looked shit against what was a pretty average Fulham team. I thought the defence looked ok with Chester the standout and Nyland had pretty much fuck all to do except pick the ball out of his net. I thought it was good of the midfield to let Nyland have some long range shooting practice.

[Toronto Villa]

I found it odd we didn't stick with our shape.

You cant play 433 with so little pace or presence in the front 3. Too many passengers and lightweights in the loosest of all presses.

I couldn’t understand why having stumbled upon a formation that worked at the weekend he immediately switched back to one that hasn’t been in a long time. It’s almost as if he was forced into the change at the weekend and was determined to stick a middle finger up to everyone this weekend going back to the one that shows us in our worst light.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

General Haig strikes again.

[villa `cross the mersey]

For a newly promoted team, that's not too surprising is it really, well the four quality players bit anyway.

I see what you are saying Clampy but with the amount spent pre season you would have hoped for more ... the recruitment process certainly needs revamping .... who is selecting the players?? I was hoping that January would see some astute signings ... that may still happen but it would seem that the situation regarding injuries will dictate our planning
Two things do standout however ... poor attitude and physical conditioning which is a bad reflection on the coach/ manager and His coaching/fitness team

[Malandro]

I can't say that I'm too bothered.

Staying up is everything.

[eamonn]

I found it odd we didn't stick with our shape.

You cant play 433 with so little pace or presence in the front 3. Too many passengers and lightweights in the loosest of all presses.

I couldn’t understand why having stumbled upon a formation that worked at the weekend he immediately switched back to one that hasn’t been in a long time. It’s almost as if he was forced into the change at the weekend and was determined to stick a middle finger up to everyone this weekend going back to the one that shows us in our worst light.

I guess his priority was picking as many fringe players as poss over retaining a system because he wanted to rest our "big guns".

[AV82EC]

I think there’s a lot of nonsense spouted about the fitness of the players, I think the sad fact is too many of them just aren’t good enough for this level. Jota, Lansbury and El Ghazi for starters.