Jack and Loz Not at the Cottage - Blog 159

Date: 16th January 2021

Opposition: C*****a

Score: 0-1

MOTM (football): to misquote the poet, “If you can keep your head when all around are losing theirs....you’ll be a Captain.” As usual, Joachim Andersen was superb at the heart of defence. Our soft centre has hardened making us much less appetising to the ‘big’ clubs and Joachim is the mainstay of that. It’s easy to lead and organise when things are going well but in the second half, with our backs against the wall, Joachim redoubled his efforts and almost inspired the team to a clean sheet.

MOTM (non-football): RIP Tosh Chamberlain

Snacks: Loz - G&T and cheese and onion crisps; Jack - pizza and pouilly fume

Of all the matches at the Cottage that are taking place behind closed doors, this is the one which the fans really wanted to go to. That extra buzz around SW6, the tightening of the atmosphere under the lights, turning up the volume of the singing as we tell the C*****a fans where they can put their blue flag.

But of course that couldn’t happen and the players had to face the old enemy alone. This was always going to be an important match, partly because of the opposition but also because of our 6 game unbeaten run and our urgent need for points.

As with the Spurs match, this was a tale of two managers: of class, humility, courtesy and dapper dress sense versus iniquity, dilettantism, entitlement and an expanding waist line. It is was a tale of two clubs too, each of which reflect their current managers with uncanny accuracy. Fulham rarely beat our newer, brasher neighbours on the pitch but we are better than them in every other way.

Usually in a football match there are critical periods and lulls in the action but in this game there were 3 crucial events and lots of background noise:-

1. Cav’s miss. We have sung Cav’s praises recently. He has stepped up from Championship understudy to Premier League frontman. His goal against Spurs was brilliant and all season he has demonstrated a work ethic and commitment second to none. But Cav isn’t a striker and, as his glaring miss demonstrates, he isn’t a bona fide Premier League attacker either. The play which led to the chance was superb, particularly from Bobby and Kenny, and it deserved a neat finish. The fact of the matter is, Fulham don’t get many chances. When we do, we have to take them.

2. The red card. We aren’t going to rehash the debate here. Suffice to say, it was a rash challenge but not a dangerous one, sometimes a red card is given in that situation and sometimes it isn’t. What didn’t help the situation was the unprofessional attitude of the C*****a player. We thought the air ambulance was going to have to land on the pitch and the match be suspended while life saving treatment was given. Instead, he was magically cured but the sight of the red card, allowed to continue and attempt to pull the same stunt on Lookman in the second half

3. The C*****a goal. It wasn’t a particularly good one but they still count unfortunately.

Around these moments are the context of the match. This was the third game in seven days for a team which is still feeling the combined effects of Covid itself and a lack of training. Frank is still not back to his best, the link up play wasn’t as sharp as usual and the subs looked exhausted after ten minutes running.

Nevertheless, we gave as good as we got in the first half, defending well, particularly against C*****a’s endless corners and looking fluid and dangerous on the counter. For much of the second half we were hanging in there more than hanging on but 45 minutes was simply too long to hold out against a sustained attack with too few outlets to relieve the pressure. The forwards did their best with Lookman constantly driving forwards despite being flung in all directions by the C******a defence.

What was impressive about the match, despite the extremely frustrating result was the never say die attitude of the players. They didn’t give up, or park the bus or turn on each other. They fought to the end. Even with 10 men we looked compact, composed and unflustered. At the end, despite the chill of the January evening, the players were all sweating as if sprinting in a desert reflecting the tremendous effort they’d put in – and their resolution and character.

We were surprised that Scott didn’t make the subs earlier particularly when Cav was clearly tired and giving the ball away all the time and when Joe Bryan was an obvious replacement for Robinson but, as we mentioned above, none of the subs looked fit enough to make an impact. Scott and his team desperately need to regroup before the next match which is only 4 days away and is only against Manchester United.....

The managers’ reactions at final whistle said it all – extreme relief for Fat Frank and deep disappointment for Scott but that was disappointment with the result not with his team. He knows, as we do, that this is a team to be proud of. This is a team which will fight all the way.

Random musings:-

- The tribute to Tosh Chamberlain and the sign stating proudly that he was Forever Fulham were fitting and poignant

- what must the C*****a training ground look like on an average day? The whole place littered with players writhing on the ground as they rehearse tactics

- also, what sort of names do those players have? One sounds like a character from a Jilly Cooper novel while another is named after a fridge.

- and finally their hair: Giroud had clearly had an accident with his clippers while Lampard has taken to home colouring and its not going well

- don’t get us started on the embarrassingly poor and biased commentary from sky. It was stale and patronising yet again. Since when have Fulham been “less fashionable neighbours”?!? Have they seen how sartorial Scott measures up to scruffy Fat Frank?! Did they not notice the beautiful new stand they were sitting in???

- Bobby Reid picked up another unjust yellow card and will miss the Man U game. Hopefully Ruben Steps-Up is ready to show us what he can do.

In a weekend where results have gone against us this narrow, partly self-inflicted loss is hard to take. Somehow, we must survive the Man U game while preserving our goal difference and ready ourselves for the huge games which follow. We are still playing well, getting better all the time and the transfer window is still open. But, on that subject, there are two elephants in the room: whether or not a new striker is waiting in the wings, as yet unglimpsed; and our tainted and misunderstood hero - the Missing in Action Mitro.

We must keep the faith. This team shows again and again that it has enough skill, desire and resilience to survive. As for C*****a, our chance to beat them at the Cottage will come again. And when we do, we will all be there to see it.