I’m not sure any of us saw that coming.
No, not the fact we lost at Craven Cottage. That’s almost a given. As sure as night following day. But the fact we stunk the place out in such a spectacular way – especially in that opening forty-five.
The form, while not earning the points we would have liked, has been okay and the last two home games have seen City serve up some decent stuff that was only missing a clinical edge in front of goal. ‘If we keep playing that way, the goals will come’ was on the tip of the collective tongue.
And it was true. It felt like someone eventually was going to get a walloping.
That still may be the case of course, but after another ‘nightmare on Stevenage Road’ to put the fingers in the ears and shout a few ‘la la las’ on the assumption it’s all going to soon come right would be a huge mistake.
In fairness to Neil Adams he acknowledged as much post-match.
Yesterday the goalscoring opportunities did dry up. One shot on target in ninety-four minutes of football was simply not good enough.
We have spent the last couple of months telling anyone who will listen that this City squad is the best in the Championship. We all believe it, even if it didn’t feel like it yesterday.
Well now is the time for that squad to be used. After yesterday it feels like it needs a shake-up.
The faith shown by Adams in his defensive midfield pairing of Bradley Johnson and Alex Tettey has been admirable, but when they are not producing and you have Jonny Howson, Gary O’Neil and Vadis Odidja-Ofoe sitting on the bench it just feels a little uncomfortable.
And while I’m not one to delve too deeply into footballing statistics, Twitter was abuzz with one that offered Johnson’s pass completion for the afternoon. The Norfolk Pirlo he most definitely is not, even if some like to believe otherwise.
His job in the side – and I’m sure folk will remind me – is not necessarily to spray the ball around, but instead to put his foot in and break things up when the opposition have possession. Therefore, he is at his best when the backs are to the wall and City are having little of the ball.
That doesn’t look likely to occur too often this season. Certainly nothing like as often as last. So what does Johno bring to the current party?
As the ball was bring continually offered back to Fulham from those central areas one can only imagine what was going through the minds of the aforementioned trio of unused substitutes.
To my overly simplistic mind the central midfield is the first area that needs addressing prior to the visit of Leeds. We need a presence in there of course, but equally as important is the need to keep the ball when we have it.
With Wes Hoolahan unlikely to make the starting XI on Tuesday evening – he apparently departed Craven Cottage in a protective boot – the scene appears set for Josh Murphy to make his long-awaited and much deserved first league start.
The youngster has impressed at almost every turn – even amidst some dark days last season – and with his curling drive coming so close to salvaging something yesterday he must surely be a shoe-in for the left wing berth.
With Josh on the left and Nathan Redmond on the right, and with no necessity to tinker with the formation to accommodate Wes, that looks a decent starting point. Let’s get back to basics.
The poor form of Lewis Grabban and, to a lesser extent, Cameron Jerome is also cause for concern. Neither looked happy yesterday and given his fairly obvious dearth of confidence it was a little surprising to see the former step up to take the penalty.
Alas it was one of those where no-one was too surprised when it didn’t find the back of the net. To have been afforded such a gilt-edged and fortuitous route back into the match and then spurn it was a blow to the solar plexus.
Fulham have only conceded four goals at home in the league. To miss a penalty, beside being ‘one of those things’, was indeed a recipe for disaster.
Grabban currently appears to be buckling under the weight of expectation, brought on in part by his flying start in the Canary yellow. He’ll likely come good but while going through one of those barren spells that all strikers suffer, it would be folly for Adams not to turn to a fit-again Gary Hooper and/or an in-form Kyle Lafferty (knee permitting).
I expect to see changes for Tuesday and with those changes a renewed vigour and spring in the step. It needs to be freshened up and now is the time for ‘the best squad in the division’ to start performing like one.
Adams too needs to show some. He needs to show those who deem themselves as irreplaceable that there is no such thing. He needs to show us the flying start wasn’t just the result of a prolonged honeymoon.
And, above all, we need three points.
I don’t wish to even consider the possibility of a Leeds win. Now that *would* hurt.
Is this talk of “best squad in the league”, myth or reality? I’ve just done a quick review of league starts this season;
Ruddy Turner Johnson Grabban Hoolahan Redmond (12) Martin (11) Tettey (10) Whittaker Olsson (8) Jerome (6) Hooiveld Lafferty (5) Garrido (3) Howson Bennett E Bennett R Surman (1).
That’s just 18 players, 4 of whom have just 1 start (1 of whom has since left).
It seems to me most of those changes have been down to injury or suspension, rather than tactical. That surely has to change if we’re to progress successfully in this league?
Hope Adams isn’t going to be a rabbit frozen in headlights when it comes to making changes, both in starting line-up and substitutions, it is starting to look that way. Given a shot in the arm booster is required and Lafferty has impressed at national level, hopefully he will start against Leeds along with Josh and Howson.
I didn’t go to the game yesterday deciding instead to take my father on a trip down memory lane by taking him to Crown Meadow to Watch Lowestoft Towns win over Oxford City. I think the report was so spot on. The team seem to believe the hype about them and spend all their time in a FRENZY of neat passing but with no action in front of goal. Before the DOOM spreads the team changes recommended above have hit the nail on the nain on the head.
For those who believe in jinxes or curses, Craven Cottage and Molineux continue to haunt the Canaries like no other grounds in the FL. For those who don’t believe in these things, I’d be interested to hear your alternative theory.
Time for Adams to be the Tinkerman and rotate personnel for some new energy and ideas.
Grabban’s penalty – it’s been scientifically proven that it’s more likely to go in if aimed at the upper level of either corner – not down the middle. As these authors conclude, “proper training should help in reducing the possible miss rate.”
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14660970802601654#.VEOSXOktAqQ
Either that or get someone else to take them!
Gary, you make very valid points about the midfield and the lack of the use of the squad. Grabban and Jerome do not seem to have clicked together, Redmond with his lack of goals does not deserve an automatic starting place on assists alone, we have centre backs not used to accommodate both Martin and Whittaker and we have had square pegs playing in round holes. Never mind the danger of fans losing faith in the manager, the problem will be if the players lose faith in the managers decisions. As you say it is unlikely the unused midfielders yesterday will have been impressed!
The 12 match point is not a bad place to consider the season so far. After the disappointment of the first match the club, the players, supporters and myself read too much into the next 5 results. The last 6 games in contrast, two against teams in the bottom 3 and none against those in the current top 6, produced just 8 points plus a poor capital cup exit. It would be equally wrong to read too much into these results but looking at the position overall we have lost momentum and the results reflect the risks of using an inexperienced manager. We should adjust our expectations accordingly.
Finally, I do not share your optimism over Gary Hooper. From the players brought in it seems to me both the player and the club expected him to leave. Clearly no one matched our expected fee, the injury may also have been a factor. Hooper has made little impact on our fortunes over the last 9 months or so and it seems to me he is just biding his time until the January window!
Have a read on BBC Sport website of Chris Powell’s (Huddersfield manager) comments after beating Blackpool yesterday. Given that we have journeymen hit and miss (mostly miss) strikers . . . . just saying, like.
Well I did go yesterday and the first half was dire. Constantly giving the ball away and creating nothing. Two central midfielders who break play up but are not creative. Redmond on the wing and not given the ball. At least if he saw more of the ball we’d be able to better judge the quality of his distribution. Grabb an, after a good start to his career in a yellow shirt, now settling in to what I suspect may be his truth level (mediocrity). Hooper needs Arun now that he is fit. His game management and nous is in a different league to Grabban and he’ll score for fun at this level once he gets his sharpness back. Also nothing wrong with row a every soften. The goal conceded yesterday was due to over paying. Adams needs to get the message across that we have to earn the right today play and not to believe we are better than the opponents by dint of spending a few weeks at the top.