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Fulham 3-3 Spurs - Review


By Jesse Johnstone

This really was a must-win game for us and for our under fire manager, Martin Jol, and it looked as though it was going to be until Fulham scored just before the end of the half; a half completely dominated by Tottenham.

Kaboul scored a tap in after Niemi failed to hold onto a corner from the excellent Bale and Keane and Berbatov linked brilliantly for our Bulgarian international to score a class goal; heading the ball forward before volleying his strike past the Fulham keeper.

Clint Dempsey's headed goal from a corner really should have been dealt with. The American international rose above everyone from eight yards out and scored, changing the psychology of the game. It really is amazing what a goal just before halftime can do.

Bale scored a great second half goal, running the length of Fulham's half before slotting home for his first goal. Our new Welsh left sided player is really beginning to show his class. He was definitely the man of the match and is quickly developing into a first team starter.

Keane and Berbatov were also sparkling up front. Their link play caught out the Fulham back line on more than one occasion, which is why I now come to the point of Martin Jol taking Keane off and replacing him with Defoe.

At the time of the substitution, we were 3-1 up. Was there a need for a substitution? If Martin really wanted to take off one of the best performers of the day, why not swap him with Dawson? That would have tightened things up at the back.

I can understand that Jol wants Defoe to sign a new deal and so it looks as though he's guaranteed him that he'll be playing a part in upcoming games, but still, it looks to me as though this tactic was detrimental to the side, costing us a vital 3 points.

Even though we drew this game, I can't get rid of the sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach, the feeling that we lost.

19 comments

  1. I was a Jol fan and still am. But I am beginning to feel that the board were right to look for another manager.

    I really hope he does well, but I cant see it happening myself. I actually think he should go now :(
  2. It was a great game, I was there, in the Cottage end. I'm a Southend fan and was lucky enough to get tickets to the best game i've ever seen!

    Spurs were unlucky, but I think that Jol is tactically inept at times.

    When the team was 3-1 up, he kept on shouting to the defenders to stay deep. I can't understand why he was doing that? Instead of telling his team to keep a high line and attack more, he was ordering them back. It was as if he was expecting Fulham to score another 2 goals.

    I've never seen a manager do something like that before. I turned to my mate and said that your lot (Fulham) will get into the game now.

    That's exactly what happened.

    Still though, it was a great game for a neutral

    Josh
  3. Sack him now. Sack him before Arsenal humiliate us
  4. We were unlucky. Why does the media get on Jols back? After each game, everyone is saying that he'll get sacked. Let the guy work without pressure!
  5. I think he should be replaced too, but the problem is that whoever comes in, will need time to exert his new philosophy on the squad.

    I think that the best time to sack Jol would be on December 1st. Allow the new guy to make the signings he wants in the January transfer window.
  6. Of course the defense had to play deep. Fulham had four forwards on and the Fulham defense were lumping longs balls forward all the time. Lets face it, if Fulham hadn't got a lucky deflection and scored a wonder goal that 99% of the time would go high and wide, we would be saying how great Spurs played and what a great coach Jol was!
  7. No we wouldn't. No manager should take off one of the best performers of the day, only to replace him with a like-for-like player.

    Tactically inept!
  8. Tactically woeful - the last two weeks can not gloss over the pitiful start we have had to this season.

    Jol seemed to become more powerful after the whole episode but you just can not get away from his ridiculous tactics in away matches.
    The Keane sub does not even bother me so much its the fact with 15 minutes to go Fulham went for it they pushed on four forwards what was Jol's answer take off a midfielder and bring on a defender. So with neither team effectively playing a midfield it became defence V's attack. Fulham where always going to send in ball after ball and with limited outlets all our defenders could do was send it up field and wait for the next attack.

    It does not take a genius to work out that Fulham would score at some point. This is not the first time Jol has adopted these same tactics in fact i fail to remember an away game or even many home games when he doesn’t.

    Believe it or not like many others huge jol fan I like him I think he is a really top man and I ha…
  9. 10:20 if Fulham went with four forwards why didn’t we have better players than them and if we gave as good as we were getting in the last ten minutes Fulham would not have been able to cope
  10. Why should we except second best with the money we have spent both the fans over the years and board on the team why should we not expect to be on around ten points like Chelsea Liverpool Arsenal. Just because we have a nice man in charge does not mean we should just except or take it. We should be fighting hard for a top four place if not higher a position I do not understand people who except failure and that is what we have been over the years.
  11. when i think about it, if wenger left tomorow and jol joined them , i would think yes we will finally be able to beat them! for me that says it all!
  12. That's a great point.

    If Mourinho, Benitez, Wenger and Ferguson were to leave their respected clubs and a manager in Jol's mold was to take over, I to would thank the heavens as now we would have a standing chance of beating them.

    What does that say about our Jol?

    Let's cut our losses now or this will be a wasted season.
  13. I have absolutely no problem with Jol being fired - I don't like him as a manager, though I would prefer to let him see this season out. BUT: Firing MJ on the basis of the Fulham result is grossly unfair. We were by far the better side but we got pegged back by two freakish second-half goals at precisely the wrong times. If there is anything about our performance I'm disappointed about its that we don't believe in ourselves enough to keep playing our kind of game, even when things are not going for us, the way (gulp) Arsenal do. Instead we panicked at 3-2 and kept hoofing the ball away instead of passing it. But it makes me sick that the hypocritical second-guessers in the press can condemn Jol for bringing Defoe on for Keane. Keane - and I'm his biggest fan - has not had a great start to the season, and at 3-1 with 20 mins to go and Spurs in total control it seemed a good time to give Defoe some playing time - something all Jol's critics have been on at him about …
  14. 11:20 when you complement yourself on a good point (11:09) it actually becomes pointless and you just look stupid!
  15. lol it may look like it but i wasnt the second poster on the wenger point! and no 1 is judging jol on the fulham game alone numpty
  16. Anonymous 11:25 LOL - now that is someone who clearly does not no anything about football lets take some of his points

    (“pegged back by two freakish second-half goals at precisely the wrong times”.) – So when is the right time to let in goals? What was so freakish about them when you play 10 men behind the ball goals do tend to go in from anywhere

    (“Instead we panicked at 3-2 and kept hoofing the ball away instead of passing it.”) - So what is Jol’s Job then if not to manage them so they don’t panic. Why are a bunch of international players not such a young team like Jol keeps making out ( Aston Villa team that did not bottle it against Chelsea was young) panicking when they are beating a team they are clearly better than what had Jol said to them?

    (“I'm disappointed about its that we don't believe in ourselves enough to keep playing our kind of game,”) Says it all really… that is our normal game once we are winning, sit back and hold it

    My personal Fav

    (Keane - and I'm …
  17. Jol admits Spurs could struggle to fulfil chairman's Champions League dreams- Daily Mail
    Already makin excuses , hard luck story's etc blah blah blag blag....
    He's had a few years yet he acts like he's just taken over! Defencive probs this,mentality that,dont take our chances(3 goals not enough then Martin?) ,i will just blame the players as usual . if the team is rubbish at these things after the amount of time he's been there then its his fault! he's the coach ffs!!!!His trusty jj and Robbo will be out again to spport him this week no doubt!
  18. 11.42, I don't want to start slanging, but you're an idiot. I am not a fan of MJ and I have been in the minority of Spurs fans who are unhappy with him for a while now. But he can hardly be blamed for a shot that Rocha deflects over Robinson's head, or for a freakish overhead shot that loops up and lands in the one spot that Robinson just can't get a hand to. By "the wrong time" I meant simply that we had no time to get back into the game. We were so far superior to Fulham that, given enough time, we probably could have got another goal. Keano looked hungry?? I don't think that defending a one-goal advantage is negative. My problem is that we didn't defend it intelligently, simply kicking the ball upfield, only for it to inevitably come back again.
    Now let's look at some of your points: "When you play 10 men behind the ball goals do tend to go in from anywhere." I understand that you're disappointed - so am I - but please stop talkin…
  19. 12:35 i take on board what you are saying but have you not heard the old chant “2 nil and you f**ked it up”

    It happens time and time again with Jol's Tottenham. Therefore he's not go to be fired not the basis of the Fulham game it's the fact that he has not learnt. And surely you can see sitting back on any lead is negative what ever way you look at it.