My view from Football First.

[The Exile]

I was expecting us to be pish from reading on here, so I should have known better really.

An effective away performance, not much in the way of punting either. The new back four impressed and we don't look like conceding every time the opposition cross the halfway line. Just because we're defending doesn't mean we're playing poorly. We have to accept that away from home the opposition are going to have periods of pressure, just like we expect our lot to force the issue at the SoL. We're learning to be difficult to beat away from home, the next step is to be able to sneak a goal and see it out, only the good teams can do this properly.

Our attacking play is unrecognisable from last season imho. One of those days yesterday where the style didn't pay off, but the intricate passing and movement will succeed a lot more often than the big punt and rush. Bent looks more mobile now and the 4-3-3 is really an option worth exploring now.

[Smiler]

Originally Posted by The Exile

I was expecting us to be pish from reading on here, so I should have known better really.

An effective away performance, not much in the way of punting either. The new back four impressed and we don't look like conceding every time the opposition cross the halfway line. Just because we're defending doesn't mean we're playing poorly. We have to accept that away from home the opposition are going to have periods of pressure, just like we expect our lot to force the issue at the SoL. We're learning to be difficult to beat away from home, the next step is to be able to sneak a goal and see it out, only the good teams can do this properly.

Our attacking play is unrecognisable from last season imho. One of those days yesterday where the style didn't pay off, but the intricate passing and movement will succeed a lot more often than the big punt and rush. Bent looks more mobile now and the 4-3-3 is really an option worth exploring now.

We hardly touched the ball after we went 3 up front. I suppose at least Bruce went for it though because in previous away days he would've changed it to 5 in the middle with one up front, I'd have still prefered us to keep 4 in the middle yesterday though

[SteveB]

We were whacking the ball 50 yards from back to front most of the game mate.

Fairly solid at the back with a makeshift defence though !!!

[Crook Mackem]

Originally Posted by Smiler

We hardly touched the ball after we went 3 up front. I suppose at least Bruce went for it though because in previous away days he would've changed it to 5 in the middle with one up front, I'd have still prefered us to keep 4 in the middle yesterday though

Agreed, positive move to go 3 up but it backfired as we never got a kick til Zenden came on to make it back to a midfield 4.

All in all, a scrappy dull game with a draw on reflection a fair result.

I think 3 points were there for the taking though, if he`d maybe brought Zenden or Steed on when Meyler went off. Easy to say after the event though I suppose.

[JAZMAN2]

Originally Posted by SteveB

We were whacking the ball 50 yards from back to front most of the game mate.

Fairly solid at the back with a makeshift defence though !!!

Not on my TV. Played some good stuff

[Flavonoids]

There was no redeeming feature for either side, it was poor fayre all round.

[RichD]

Take a look at the league table we are 6th, a point away to Fulham keeps us ticking over, we haven't played that well in the last 2 games but for taken 4 points, roll on when we hit the hights of chelski again

Originally Posted by JAZMAN2

Not on my TV. Played some good stuff

Same on mine. The reshuffling of the defence didnt help our game plan.
We could easily have been 2-0 up at half time. They didnt lay a glove on us other than a couple of harmless 'dinks' from dempsey.
We would lost this sort of game the past few seasons. We've come on leaps and bounds.
Fulham had a lot of possession in the second half but were largely toothless.
The others were watching the game in HD....Heavily Depressed

[KNGHTHOOD]

Originally Posted by JAZMAN2

Not on my TV. Played some good stuff

Same here, I thought we could quite easily of won it. Mind second half I put some packing under the left hand side of the T.V. so we would be kicking down the slope

[The Exile]

Originally Posted by SteveB

We were whacking the ball 50 yards from back to front most of the game mate.

Fairly solid at the back with a makeshift defence though !!!

That must have been in the bits they cut out, there were one or two in the extended highlights and that was it.

I think Elmo's put a good claim in for the right back spot now, he loves to bomb on and I think him and Henderson could be a bit special on that flank given time.