Fulham vs. Crystal Palace match thread

[TheBigToePunt]

What on earth was he doing hugging the touchline in the first place?

As others have said, looked like Khalaili dived in a bit and sold himself. Richards is then next in line and had to go out there. He did a very bad job of it, but he didn't just take it upon himself.

 

[JessieJ]

Come October I think we'll see a different back 3.

Admittedly it's early days, but the balance doesn't look right at present.

The new player from Atalanta would apparently provide much needed pace, and Tomiyasu is a good defensive reader of the game and senses danger in the penalty area (if he can stay fit).

When wing backs push as high as ours do, it's necessary to have pace to deal with counter attacks as well as defenders capable of 1 on 1 defending.
Guehi and Lacroix excelled at this.
If the current bunch can't do this, we may need to play a defensive midfielder to protect them.

Ah, after so many comments about the leaky or uncoordinated defence a reminder that we signed (at least on loan) the CB with the best stats of any U-23 year.old in the Europe last season and he played around 30 matches as well. There are certainly options now and i suspect that needs will dictate that there are at least a couple of "best line-ups" depending upon opposition and the number of matches. defending is imho also about the whole team so the structure needs to gel. Seems like Monsieur Sage is on it listentening to his comments.

 

[pssguy]

Our best team would have Sarr in it and probably JPM. We have Mingueza and Osorio to come in at some stage too if not as starters they're better options than we had last year . A fit Tomiyasu can only benefit the team as well.
Despite some reservations I thought we did alright and winning away after being behind twice is a good sign.
You'd think Fulham and Coventry would be more concerned and as for Tottenham...

If he is fit, surely he should be in ahead of Richards on his current form. He's as likely to pick up an injury in training as a game, so play him whilst he is available

 

[TheBigToePunt]

We look like a side transitioning from a low block hit on the break side to a high press team. The wingbacks have made the transition and our front three seem on board to a degree, but our midfield haven’t quite found their role and our back three are suffering from getting to know each other and working out how to defend with a high line. Hopefully it’ll improve in time but Richards needs to work out when to press because he lacks pace on the turn when his man beats him.

Agreed, though I would add one further observation. The obvious, and greatest risk when pressing high is that the opposition might be able to counter attack directly against us, that one pass into the space behind our defence could put them in on goal.

What I think is more likely to happen regularly is that teams counter attack against us more indirectly, by which I mean the ball gets turned over in the oppositions half, they then have an attack, but we are able to get bodies back into our box. The problem with this is that often the team is still retreating into position during the vital moments when the opposition attempt a 1v1 or play the final ball. We have bodies back but the players are not 'set' to defend properly. It's so much easier to defend if the game is in front of you and your body is facing outwards than it is if your traveling back still. Wharton missing that cut back yesterday was a good example.

That's also why wingers were always taught to put an early, low cross in if they had been released behind the opposition defence; the defending team might have bodies back in the box but they are all running back towards goal. That's what did for Canvot yesterday for one of Fulham's goals.

Compare all this to how we played under Pulis, Hodgson, Allardyce, and Glasner, in which we often dropped off into a low block early, so much so that we would often just stay in that negative shape even during our attacks. It's so much easier to defend well that way, although the price is paid in the attacking part of the pitch.

If Sage persists with a high line and pressing game then I'd expect a steady flow of what seem like poor bits of individual defending through many of our games.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

He has played centre back many times.

For Strasbourg apparently

 

[Norbury Old Git]

We are now beginning to see the Sage effect. Only 48 back passes yesterday thats 3% down on the Everton match and over 1.3% down on the Man City game. It makes for a more enjoyable experience not seeing the ball continually being played backwards from the opposition’s half.

 

[Tlsestu]

I see a back 3 of Canvot, Desasi and Ahanar shortly after the International break.

Need to get Canvot out of that defense sharpish as he's making way too many mistakes.
At the moment every aspect of his game is shockingly bad.

 

[mtp1958]

Need to get Canvot out of that defense sharpish as he's making way too many mistakes.
At the moment every aspect of his game is shockingly bad.

Oh do shut up , he is learning his trade , CB don't come good until 25 to 28 , if you knew anything about football you should know that , he done well last season yes odd mistakes but even the 2 we sold made them , was you saying the same when they did , don't make stupid statements its not cool

 

[Tlsestu]

Oh do shut up , he is learning his trade , CB don't come good until 25 to 28 , if you knew anything about football you should know that , he done well last season yes odd mistakes but even the 2 we sold made them , was you saying the same when they did , don't make stupid statements its not cool

He may well come good and I hope he does but he's got a hell of alot wrong with his game due to his lack of experience.
Look again at the first goal yesterday where he made 3 mistakes. Firstly the pass and then his positioning which allowed them to come inside. He doesn't close down and instead drops to the knee and deflected the ball, he did this in the Como cup and the forward just passed the ball in the net. The second goal after another deflection as he was badly positioned while tracking their player.
There are other areas of his game that need working on aswell.
I've been wanting him to succeed as much as anyone but he is making the same mistakes again and again and it just seems he's not ready yet and we now have alternatives.

 

[TheBigToePunt]

He may well come good and I hope he does but he's got a hell of alot wrong with his game due to his lack of experience.
Look again at the first goal yesterday where he made 3 mistakes. Firstly the pass and then his positioning which allowed them to come inside. He doesn't close down and instead drops to the knee and deflected the ball, he did this in the Como cup and the forward just passed the ball in the net. The second goal after another deflection as he was badly positioned while tracking their player.
There are other areas of his game that need working on aswell.
I've been wanting him to succeed as much as anyone but he is making the same mistakes again and again and it just seems he's not ready yet and we now have alternatives.

Have to say I agree. He's got potential and a lot of good ingredients but he plays in a position where (firstly) collaboration, concentration, clarity of thought, and just knowing what to do are every bit as important as having talent and potential, and (secondly) your mistakes matter far more than your successes. It's no good doing three very impressive things followed by one little error, you're better off doing little to catch the eye but nothing wrong.

I hesitate to say it, but Canvot has a touch of the Titus Brambles about him.

Given his age and characteristics, it'd be better if he was still fourth choice behind three senior players. He could come in here and there, play, come back out, analyse, reflect, learn, go again. I'm not sure playing every week is right for him at the moment.

I don't know whose decision it was to give Canvot and Riad the 5 and 6 shirt numbers this summer. I know it's only a number but they had shirt numbers already. It seemed like a show of faith in them that was a bit premature.

 

[ripleyeagle]

What was PS doing yesterday wearing a black roll neck sweater on a very warm day.Strangely OG used to like wearing a white one but only in the winter.PS’s flabby body isn’t a good look considering he isn’t that old and isn’t a good example to players if he has to criticise their fitness levels

 

[sprites]

What was PS doing yesterday wearing a black roll neck sweater on a very warm day.Strangely OG used to like wearing a white one but only in the winter.PS’s flabby body isn’t a good look considering he isn’t that old and isn’t a good example to players if he has to criticise their fitness levels

Of all the things i'm concerned about, that's not high on the list mate.

 

[Willo]

There has been valid criticism of Canvot however I appreciate that he arrived at our club as very inexperiended central defender having played only 16 games in 'Ligue 1', and he has only 23 games to his name in the PL. He is a 'Work in progress' and one only gains experience by being thrust into the limelight.
I have to admit that he does give me the jitters and he is on a steep learning curve.

 

[Talvlad]

What was PS doing yesterday wearing a black roll neck sweater on a very warm day.Strangely OG used to like wearing a white one but only in the winter.PS’s flabby body isn’t a good look considering he isn’t that old and isn’t a good example to players if he has to criticise their fitness levels

Fully expect black roll neck sweater to be selected as next year's Gold /season ticket gift to be posted out beginning of August.

 

[PatrickA]

Fully expect black roll neck sweater to be selected as next year's Gold /season ticket gift to be posted out beginning of August.

I'm ok with this as long as it's finest Sea Island Cotton.

 

[Teddy Eagle]

Fully expect black roll neck sweater to be selected as next year's Gold /season ticket gift to be posted out beginning of August.

If you wake up next to a box of Milk Tray and a card with an eagle on it he could well be a suspect.

 

[Gary St.Andrews]

There has been valid criticism of Canvot however I appreciate that he arrived at our club as very inexperiended central defender having played only 16 games in 'Ligue 1', and he has only 23 games to his name in the PL. He is a 'Work in progress' and one only gains experience by being thrust into the limelight.
I have to admit that he does give me the jitters and he is on a steep learning curve.

He’s trying to adapt to playing with a completely revised defence, even Richard’s is struggling with it at the moment. On top of that he is getting advice from a new manager, these things take time to settle.

In the 3 league games so far we have looked shaky at the back, but we have also looked really threatening going forward and we most probably should have more than 3 points.

What feels different is the manager, he seems very calm and pragmatic unlike OG which will definitely help the new players bed in. I’m always the optimist, things will come good in the long term….

 

[BromleyMonkey]

He’s trying to adapt to playing with a completely revised defence, even Richard’s is struggling with it at the moment. On top of that he is getting advice from a new manager, these things take time to settle.

In the 3 league games so far we have looked shaky at the back, but we have also looked really threatening going forward and we most probably should have more than 3 points.

What feels different is the manager, he seems very calm and pragmatic unlike OG which will definitely help the new players bed in. I’m always the optimist, things will come good in the long term….

I suppose Everton if we’d gone in front like we should’ve done, it could’ve been a different game, but city wiped the floor with us.
It’s good to look at it positively as you’re doing, but I think a lot after watching how open we were at Fulham are thinking we’re lucky to have 3 points on the board tbh
But after years of Roy, I’ve always said if we’re going to lose, I’d sooner lose having a go and attacking

 

[Gary St.Andrews]

I suppose Everton if we’d gone in front like we should’ve done, it could’ve been a different game, but city wiped the floor with us.
It’s good to look at it positively as you’re doing, but I think a lot after watching how open we were at Fulham are thinking we’re lucky to have 3 points on the board tbh
But after years of Roy, I’ve always said if we’re going to lose, I’d sooner lose having a go and attacking

I’m glad Roy ball is still fresh in your mind! 😂

 

[silvertop]

There has been valid criticism of Canvot however I appreciate that he arrived at our club as very inexperiended central defender having played only 16 games in 'Ligue 1', and he has only 23 games to his name in the PL. He is a 'Work in progress' and one only gains experience by being thrust into the limelight.
I have to admit that he does give me the jitters and he is on a steep learning curve.

Similar comments of Mitchell's earliest matches.