Three points at the DW must not mask a real horror show from the Whites. Schwarzer and the woodwork spare Fulham's blushes against the bottom club.

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A week after tossing aside three points at home to Everton, Fulham contrived to stay out of the bottom three with one of their worst performances in recent memory. The Whites managed their first ever away win at Wigan on a day when over half the first team failed to turn up. How different today's forums would read had Mark not been in superb form, the woodwork not twice come to Fulham's rescue, and Wigan found some composure in front of goal.

Our first away win of the season should fool nobody. As for the gaffer, unless he wants to be considered a laughing stock, it is unwise to stand up in the tunnel after the game and tell the nation 'Dembele was terrific today, he only needs to be scoring more and he would be the complete package.' That's like telling me to spend my Sunday afternoon mugging up on 'Computing for Dummies' and tomorrow I'll be the new Steve Jobs.

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Let's get this straight. I defy anyone who witnessed the performance to disagree. Dembele played like an ineffectual eleven year old. He was truly awful in the midfield mire that seems to be Jol's totally inappropriate way of setting the team up. No width whatsoever yet again! Two things happen across the park in scrappy play. If Dembele is competing for a 50-50 ball he will either lose out or foul the opponent. Look at the yellow cards we are attracting right across the team. They are a product of frustration at our inability to retain possession and ageing legs now arriving fractionally late to the ball. Repeat offenders: Murphy, Duff, Etuhu, Sidwell, Riise, AJ and Moussa. The one player who expects to get battered every game, Bobby Zee, rarely draws a card despite his obvious frustration with Jol's tactics.

Just what is our manager trying to do to with Bobby's state of mind? You run your legs off trying somehow to find space within Fulham's ultra-narrow set-up. You tirelessly offer yourself as the target for balls that never arrive (mostly it seems from Brede). When you do turn the defence and gallop off down the vacant wing, what results?

Utterly against the run of play, our opener laid on a plate for Clint and a second half sizzler at full speed that clips the bar! And what is Bobby's reward for all this endeavour? Ten minutes from time with the result still very much in the balance, you, the one forward showing any hint of threat, are pulled from the game. Bobby's face said it all when the board went up...while the likes of the abject Moussa and ineffectual AJ stay on the pitch. And please don't jump on me 'cause Dembele poked home on 86. It was soft, al Habsi should have kept it out.

If you need a mirror of how this game panned out, check the stats. Nine Wigan corners, we forced NONE. The home side had 70% possession to our 30%. I don't recall al Habsi having a serious save to make. AJ is neither a winger, nor any longer a potent finisher. He got away twice on the right side of the box. The first saw a powder puff effort straight at the keeper, the second was neither a shot on target nor the cut back that was called for. Just a wayward effort into the side netting. People say he worked hard. But I don't want to see a £10 million pound ex-England international striker having to tidy up on defensive duties in the right back position! That was happening all too frequently - once late on where AJ forgot he no longer has a quicksilver touch - and he carelessly ran the ball out for a corner.

If on dissecting the match video yourself Martin, the above example does not spell out that something is horribly wrong with this current team, then we are all adrift in the lifeboat. I have today had the luxury of listening back to the international feed commentary of the game. Don't know who was on duty for the Premier League, but their observations of our play were bang on the money! I'm hoping our U.S. followers can back this up. Consistently too narrow, no progress up the left flank at all, Riise looking overweight, slow and a liability throughout. A wretched inability to string more than three passes together. Dembele too easily brushed off the ball. Hangeland repeatedly bringing the ball upfield towards half-way and having NO ONE to pass to. Our forwards too often static, Danny being caught in possession, AJ running like a headless chicken...these are not my thoughts. All of the above came from the commentary box at Wigan.

From previous blogs you will see I'm prepared for a season of transition, and as a Fulham fan of more than 50 years standing, I'm well used to lowering my expectations. Nothing should dilute the joy of entering the ground when it's packed, as it will be on Sunday for Spurs, and realising we are competing at the top table of English football at the picture postcard perfect Craven Cottage. It wasn't that long ago we were taking long coach trips up to Wigan to stand on a grass bank watching a Fulham side that was as wretched as the winter weather.

I can take the disappointments and defeats. Honest pros putting in a solid shift will rarely draw scorn from my pen. But were I back in the press box as a cub reporter doing the old marking system on teams neither Riise or Dembele would have rated more than a 3 out of 10 for their performance yesterday. You can be many things as manager of Fulham Football Club Martin Jol, but do not for one second think you can pull the wool over our eyes. We are not the blinkered, myopic glory hunter fans seen elsewhere in the Prem. We know when things are not right.

You have an opportunity this week to experiment with the side. If you picked an entire second string eleven for Wisla and we lost, I don't think that many fans would be too upset. Not if it gave us 90 minutes to see just what Gecov, Kasami, Trotta, Frei, Briggs, Donegan, Ruiz and the rest are made of. Be bold. Field those seven along with Mark in goal, Brede as captain, Grygera and Baird to lend an experienced hand at the back, and let's see what happens. Be smart with the press and get the crowd on your side. Appeal to the fans to get behind the kids and really make the atmosphere special. Fulham fans have a great tradition of supporting youngsters when they break into the side.

Just don't come out and tell us someone is terrific when all we see is trash. Put out the same personnel with the same game plan Sunday against Spurs and we will get taken to the cleaners. Now surely you don't want to suffer that against your old club Martin. Do you?

Thanks to all those who did pull their weight Saturday, three badly needed points. A special word for Clint's landmark goal that now ties him level with Brian McBride on 36 goals in England's top flight. I'm expecting some buzz back for the above...Don't be shy!
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