I could go into the details of the match, but I will save my fellow Fulham supporters from them as they were not good. The bottom line is that Wolves dominated the Whites in most every facet of the match and made easy work of a Fulham team that on paper is a much better squad than Mick McCarthy's bunch. However, on this day, it was Wolves looked the better team and Fulham paid dearly for it.
After the debate about reserves or regulars last week against CSKA Sofia, I thought the goal was to rest the starters and have them fresh for this match. They looked far from fresh and looked a step slow all afternoon long. Only John Pantsil started in both matches, while the rest of the starters on Sunday, including a healthy Mark Schwarzer, did not play Thursday and looked as though they were playing a preseason game with the lack of energy and intensity they displayed throughout much of the match.
While I do think Roy Hodgson and his staff will get this sorted out, it makes me really wonder if this club prepared correctly in the summer to field a team in various competitions like the Europa League, the Premier League and now this week, the Carling Cup. Did Hodgson bring in the kind of players that can really help this club in all competitions?
Perhaps I am overdoing it and maybe the Cottagers simply had a bad game against Wolves. I hope this was a one-off, but for the second time in a row, Fulham was outplayed after a mid-week Europa League match. The first was at Villa and that was somewhat expected while Sunday's encounter with Wolves was expected to be a win.
Unfortunately, the Europa League will continue to wreak havoc on the Fulham league fixtures in October, November and December. In fact, the Whites next three league matches after a Europa League mid-week match are all on the road, which does not bode well for the Whites over the next few months and could put them in a bad spot in the Premier League table come the middle of November. Those three trips in include a quick jaunt to Upton Park to take on West Ham United on October 4th followed by another Sunday match at the City of Manchester Stadium against newly rich Manchester City on October 25th. Finally, on Sunday November 9th, the Cottagers will take on Wigan at the DW Stadium. The only time in which Fulham plays a mid-week Europa League match and follow it up with a home league match is on December 6th when Sunderland comes to London.
Looking at that fixture list and the various challenges that are in front of this Cottager squad, it is going to be tough for Fulham to not only advance past the group stage of the Europa League, but to also and more importantly, hold down a respectable league place heading into the busy Christmas and New Year fixture build up in the league.
Unfortunately, I do not have any answers or cures for this club to find success in both of these competitions. One idea is that if Roy Hodgson is going to field a majority of reserves in the Europa League matches, perhaps it would be a good idea to not even have the regulars travel with the team. More often than not, the matches are not the only tiring part of these European adventures, but the travel and time changes the players have to endure are what usually wear players out. If this is the case, Roy needs to put his foot down and do what he thinks is best for this team to be competitive in the Premier League, which is by far the club's most important competition and will be forever.
Fulham is blazing a trail of their own for the first time in trying to play in Europe and in the Premier League at the same time. Hearing and reading stories of past clubs struggling with this very issue I figured it would rear its' ugly head into the Cottagers season and it looks as though it has hear in late September already. All is not lost in either competition, but in looking forward at the fixtures that lie ahead, things are going to get much harder before they get easier for this club.
So, where does Fulham go from here? Does Roy Hodgson strictly field a reserve team for the remaining Europa League matches to ensure a fresh group of regulars for the league matches or does he try to mix and match reserves and regulars with the possibility that this could back fire and the Cottagers will be in trouble in both competitions? To be honest, I am not sure where I stand. I am hoping the loss to Wolves Sunday was a one-off situation, but things are trending toward the fact that Fulham is not playing well in league matches following a mid-week Europa League match. That is concerning and that is a problem.
Where do you stand on all of this? What were your thoughts on Sunday's match and what kinds of ideas do you have on how Fulham can succeed in both Europe and in the Premier League? Is it possible or do you think the Europa League will be a big problem in Fulham's ultimate quest of consolidating last season's club best 7th place finish in the league to another top ten finish this season?
Posted by Aussie John on 09/21/2009
The Wolves game was the only match not on pay TV in Australia. After reading your story and watching the 30 seconds of highlights on the roundup show I think I would have wasted a good night sleep if it had been on.
How many seasons will Fulham go without working out how to play away from home. Even with our great position last year we struggled to win away from the Cottage.
For me to pick against Fulhamin the tipping competition is hard but when Fulham play away it is as easy as picking Man U to win.
Lets hope we turn it around at home when Arsenal walk down to the Cottage on the weekend.
As for Man City, I said last week we need to get out of the Carling cup early, and this is our chance. Win, and another decision has to be made as to how fulham will play the next round eg. with the 2nd team?
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Posted by elliot on 09/22/2009
Already the Fulham faithful are beginning to think like losers again. "Save" players for the Premier games?! Approach the Europa games as practice games and not even have starters travel to these games?! Who does that? Confused teams that are not ready for the prime time, that's who.
The approach needs to be to field the best and fittest team possible...for EVERY game. This might mean that Dempsey, Johnson, Etuhu and Hangeland need to sit out one night. And Greening, Zamora, Hughes and Konchesky another night. But the key is to TRUST your team, let them know that they are now part of a 16-18 player rotation. Instill a winning spirit amongst them so that ALL 16-18 players begin to think like a unit, ALL with equal accountability on the pitch.
All that is being accomplished now is a separation of cultures...starters and reserves. And it puts too much pressure on each entity when they ARE on the field. In other words, WATCH HOW THE BIG 4 DO IT, COPY IT, AND STOP OVERTHINKING IT!
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Posted by Tom Wille on 09/22/2009
It is very easy to say to copy the Big Four, but those clubs have a greater abundance of talent at their disposal. Fulham's starting XI is solid, but the drop off after that is significant. While we might have a few reserves that are quality, we do not have enough depth in the squad to be competitive in all competitions. That is a fact. However, if Roy can come up with a way to mix and match regulars and reserves in these competitions, I think the club would benefit more as a whole and get more positive results and at the same time giving players rest from time to time. I just do not want to see a team full of reserves in every Europa League match.
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Posted by Danager on 09/25/2009
It is always easier to watch from the sidelines! Cozier from the TV screen too! Roy is doing what a practical manager would do. Avoid relegation and maintain middle table in the EPL, hence field the best XI team. Winning the Europa and/or qualifying this season is going to be near impossible since Hotspurs are revived and ManC are likely to be in the top 7. Roy knows he has limited replacements. Hence he would just have to focus on the league (that is where the money is!) and the cups. If the Cottagers drops to Championship there would be outrage among the fans! But if out of Europa cup, that would be expected. Roy is a good manager; he is just preparing for the inevitable.
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Posted by Theodore Bennett on 09/25/2009
Aloha Tom! My heart goes out to you. Like every good fan, you want to see your team win every match, but that does not happen...
I agree essentially with Elliot. However, Roy Hodgson is in a different position than the big four, Everton and Aston Villa. Note how Martin O'Neil was tickled to be out of Europa to not confront the problem, only the League.
Roy has taken on many new players and, in a short time, acclimatizing the squad to the roles and expectations he has for each. He cannot just do this on the training ground. It takes matches, which he is giving these players. Tellingly, after Man C, he said the match gave him a good idea of who he could trust. This is where he is headed.
Roy has broadly raised the quality of the squad and this will pay BIG dividends over time. The club is coming up and Fulham will rise and begin to show their prowess by following the acumen of Roy. If they don't perform, another will. Look at the South African they now have!
Roy, PLEASE trust Eddie J.!!
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Posted by James on 10/02/2009
Hey, i saw the score of the Fulham v FC Basel game and i also saw the squad RH used... it seems too me that he is doing the right thing in Europa League... having some of our midfield players sit out and give someoen else a shot... Duff (injured) Etuhu (not even on the bench) i think Greening will find himself in the role next too Murphy more often... as well as some of our main defenders... Hangeland and Painstil... i would like too see him keep doing this... but i think the next game against Roma... he might field a lesser squad because some of his star players Dempsey Johnson and Murphy may be tired... or he may rest those guys against West Ham this week and try too give them a little breather... i know RH will make the right decision in the PL and Europa league.
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