Arsenal nick it

By: timmyg | September 27th, 2009

   

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When is the last time Fulham put forth back-to-back solid performances, only to have the result diminish it?

I honestly cannot remember. But the football gods will smile upon us, I hope.

Dan and Rich summarized the match quite well, as always.

But Vito Mannone and Zoltan Gera should both receive MOM. Mannone came out of nowhere to pull off a blinder, whereas Gera rose from the dead to put forth his best performance in the shirt. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dempsey start on the bench next week against West Ham as a result of his performance.

What I found can be so maddening about Gera is his penchant to constantly get stuck in. And sometimes his desire to touch the ball on defense results in freak deflections straight to the opposition. And when these deflections are on the edge of our box, its beyond maddening. But yesterday Gera made several crucial tackles on defense and apt crosses on offense.

Speaking of, anyone else notice Fulham continually attempt to cross the ball into the box towards the end of the match? And also notice it never worked? It was quite a depressing sight from an otherwise uplifting defeat.

But if anything, I am excited for the match at the Emirates on season’s end. Fulham have conceded just one goal in the last 3 matches against the free-wheeling, high-scoring, beautiful football of the Gunners. And I don’t see that changing.

Category: Team News, match report

   

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Comments  

• PSL |  September 27th, 2009 at 8:11 am

  
  
  

  “What I found can be so maddening about Gera is his pension to constantly get stuck in”

  pension?

  penchant : a strong inclination, taste, or liking for something.

  

• Adam |  September 27th, 2009 at 9:03 am

  
  
  

  I think if you look again you will see that Fulham’s tactic of hoofing the ball into the box went on all match long. I think it is part of Hodgson’s plan to keep the ball away from the Arsenal midfield by simply bypassing that area altogether.

  

• timmyg |  September 27th, 2009 at 11:36 am

  
  
  

  PSL — Good catch. I wrote this entry quite early this morning. My apologies.

  Adam — True, but it was effective in the first half and most of the second. But towards the end of the second, it stopped being so. So instead of changing up or at least overloading the box, crosses were served to AJ or Zamora only. Frustrating.

  

• Martin |  September 27th, 2009 at 2:32 pm

  
  
  

  Good performance by you guys, and we were very lucky to come away with 3 points. Your squad under Roy is brutally tough at Craven Cottage, and I’m glad we’re done with the fixture while both teams from Manchester, Spurs and Liverpool still have to come through. Best of luck with the rest of the season and Europa League–we’ll see you again on the last day of the season.

  

• Dan |  September 27th, 2009 at 2:57 pm

  
  
  

  Don’t think we were hoofing it by any stretch. Many of the moves that led to the procession of chances in the first half – most notably Gera’s – were sublime in their construction. Gera’s good deep crosses were a plus for me; a suggestion that we might be able to feed Zamora’s strength – his aerial ability.

  

• RV |  October 5th, 2009 at 2:02 pm

  
  
  

  Don’t think we were hoofing it by any stretch. Many of the moves that led to the procession of chances in the first half – most notably Gera’s – were sublime in their construction. Gera’s good deep crosses were a plus for me; a suggestion that we might be able to feed Zamora’s strength – his aerial ability.