Well that was shite, so many poor performances couldn’t name anyone else who looked good bar Nunez.
The complacency shown by senior professions was at times embarrasing. You can’t just turn up and expect to win, this is why we ended up 2nd last season.
We got out fought, out pressed, out everything for the majority of the match. Bizzare really as when we moved it quickly we scored a brilliant goal.
Maybe less of the promotion of a book called Intensity a week before we limp around Craven Cottage…
Credit to Fulham there. They played well, and really worked hard for their point.
We werent quite at the races, but some positives forsure. Darwin and Elliot both made a difference.
Trent was frustrating today, and Thiago going off is bad news. Heres hoping its.more precaution than serious he was taken off.
This is the fifth consecutive season we have had a newly promoted side to start the season. It was never going to be a stroll in the park and eventually we were going to be frustrated. Lets hope this is the result that sparks one of our long unbeaten runs.
Fulham adapted to the ref’s style much better than us. The ref allowed physicality, so they nibbled at every one of our players. When we tried to use strength to keep the ball despite being fouled, the advantage was to Fulham as the foul basically slowed down the play.
Then when we tried doing the same physicality, the Fulham player would go down easy, Ref waved some play on, but some he allowed a cheating free kick for Fulham.
A couple of examples: we are pushing forward, Fulham try to spring a break but De Cordova-Reid is stretching for the ball. So he dives. Ref buys it gives him the free kick allowing Fulham to regroup. The snide prick slowly stands up smirking. Wanker. BT shows a replay, but no says anything about the dive.
Second example. 85th minute, Mitrovic goes down easy by the touchline when Fulham under pressure, ref buys it.
They knew how to be smart in the game to get this. Milner gives us this street smart. He did well coming on to replace Fab.
Firmino wanted to play the game in a congested midfield. Our two number 8s weren’t offering runs in behind, and Diaz isn’t as direct off the ball as Mane. In the end, we had too few runners into space and we were easy to defend for Fulham.
Nunez made the biggest impact, instead of finding crowded areas he wanted to be on the shoulder of the last man. Fulham ended up stretched and the spaces opened up. Elliot and Milner played well off the bench too.
We need a bit of a re-think for the next fixture, that starting 11 didn’t have the right balance. Obviously it didn’t help that the likes of Fabinho, Matip, Robbo etc had stinkers as well and couldn’t pass wind.
Hopefully that will be an anomaly and not a sign of things to come.
Credit to Fulham for a very good initial 60 minutes. Then, their legs went a bit heavy and they hanged on against our lads. A bit lucky to get the 2-1 against the run of play, but our lads did very well to up their game in this adverse situation and come back again.
We could have won it late on (ie. Hendo’s shot on the bar), but all in all, they started to play their football a bit too late, also because of Fulham playing really well until that point.
Terrible performance. Lacklustre for large parts. Defensively poor at times. Passing and composure on the ball at times lacking. Chances not taken. Two points dropped.
I’m going forget everything until Nunez and Elliott came on as it was painful to watch, turned up when they scored and then came out second half and played the same until Thiago’s injury forced us into the Elliott change with Nunez coming on. It revitalised Salah who had looked absent all game and I expected once we scored to win, brain fart at the back and though soft is a penalty.
Anyhow Salah rescued a point, we must be better than that. Sadly I wish the only downside was the points but Thiago will now be out so a decision has to be made by Klopp. Carrying too many crocks but to a bonus is the gap between games these first three weeks. He will miss the next 3 you’d expect mind.
Anyhow off to enjoy the sun.
Not a penalty for me, but we didn’t deserve to win that. Very disappointing against a relegation candidate. So many under par performances it’s impossible to list them all.
Crappest I’ve felt on an opening day for years.
I bet if this situation occurs to every team in the league ten times, the Mancs would get it given 9/10, whereas for us, we’d get it around 3/10, with other teams around the 7/10 range.
Just my view.
I also feel that for the opening goal, a foul by Fab stepping on one of their players (and taking him out of the game), the ref would’ve pulled it back for a free kick before the goal situation developed.
