While the lack of goals has clearly been the cause for our miserable decline this campaign, we have at least been consistent. As with our narrow defeats at Chelsea, Arsenal and now Spurs - all games where the Whites were second best, our beleagured manager has come out and consistently told us how well we've played and how many positives he's taken from these beatings. That's been Hughes view on things for some three months now. Trouble is, the table only reflects one thing, our inability to take points. I'm still waiting to hear the boss admit he is indeed concerned by our form - as all supporters are.
Three wins from 20 is by any standard just not good enough. Tuesday night's game will surely be the last chance saloon, anything but three points and the board I'm certain will be forced to act.
This blog is not agitating for Hughes sacking. I have no insights into what the mood inside the camp is or how the dressing room feels. I can only sense how our chairman will react as we move into January mired in the bottom three and with every team around us in the lower third of the league showing signs of fight - Villla at the Bridge, Wolves win at Liverpool, West Ham on a run, Brum holding Arsenal...
We'll not dwell again on where it's all gone wrong - maybe Tuesday night it will all come right and the Whites run out 3-0 winners - although I don't see any way for a side Hughes sends out finding three goals. So with nothing less to offer than my despair, can I just ask why our comprehensive management team can't come up with something fresh?
I know it's akin to sacrilege, but here's a criticism of our Norse god Brede. Why is he not schooled to offer more aerial threat from set pieces? Fulham corners are utterly predictable. Davies takes them from both sides, the delivery is high and looping towards the 6 yard line, where Brede, Etuhu et al all jostle from a standing start. Why no headers on the run as practised so effectively by Huth for Stoke and Samba at Rovers? Older fans will remember how many goals derived from centre backs of a decade ago - Cusack, Coleman and Symonds. They made runs from deep or went near post for some variety. Have you seen Fulham vary one single corner this season? I have not.
You can make exactly the same observation of our free kick routines. Had we actually converted one before Bairdinho popped up out of the blue last week with his belter? I don't recall. Ah yes,,,Dembele's winner v Wolves. It was that long ago...These are clear signs to me - among others - that nothing creative is being worked up in training. No wonder if we don't work on the basics that Hughes by extension finds it incapable to come up with any flexibility in terms of tactics and team selection.
Last season's proud Fulham model, creaking as it was even under Woy, is now broken. It needs fixing urgently, or it's time to start preparing for life in the Championship.
If you're going Tuesday, get behind the team because this is our seminal game of the season no doubt. It's unfair to cast Dembele as the saviour - we've already thrown that burden onto both Kamara and AJ and they've been found wanting. Let's hope the Belgian is at least fit and can offer some much-needed spark.
COYW
Twitter@fulhamphil
RSS feed