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Team For Fulham, Some Statistics & The Firework Code

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Good morning.

Bonfire night tonight and a chilling reminder just how man is by some distance the most stupid mammal on the planet. Our supermarkets sell alcohol and explosives. No really they do. And apparently tonight in the UK at least is the fire brigade’s busiest night of the year. And… warnings have been issued pretty much nationwide this morning that persons attacking Firemen tonight will face the full weight of the law.We need to issue stuff like this? Jesus wept.

So do try and follow the Firework Code; or at the very least try not to get lashed up and torch a fireman, there’s a love.

For those who manage to avoid arrest and still have the use of at least one eye come tomorrow tea time we’re away to BMJ’s latest Massive. I never particularly enjoy games at Craven Cottage; they are too frequently a bit of a lottery. That said our form is a bit sexy and I predict a victory by the margin of a single goal. As keen eyed readers will recall, I sold everything I owned to back us getting a draw in Russia so will not be sharing any hot tips with you this morning.

My team then:

Fulham beat Wigan 2-0 in their last Barclays Premier League outing, and will be hoping to prevent Spurs doing a West London double this weekend

Dempsey and Dembele were on target in that game, and Dempsey is now Fulham’s joint top goal scorer in the league along with Andy Johnson

Dempsey’s three goals have come from 30 attempts at goal with 63% on target, and he has also contributed three assists

Midfielder Dempsey has also been supporting in defensive play, making 20 interceptions and winning 74% of 19 tackles attempted this season

Dembele’s goal was his first of the season. The Belgian striker has been dangerous on the ball this season, and has completed 24 dribbles and 154 passes in his opponent’s half this season

Tottenham’s Gareth Bale was the fastest rising player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index moving up 108 places to 43rd after his double against QPR

Bale has now scored three goals from 27 shots, and had just one from 23 shots before game against QPR

The Welsh winger has also contributed 26 dribbles and 22 crosses for Spurs this season, and covered more ground than any other player against QPR (11,910 metres)

Rafael van der Vaart broke the Manchester stranglehold on the top three spots on the EA SPORTS Player

Performance Index by scoring his 6th goal in 5 Barclays Premier League games to go 2nd in the index
Van der Vaart has scored 6 goals and contributed 2 assists this season, meaning he has had a hand in one in three of Spurs’ goals

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55 comments

  • Bruxie says:

    I’m with you.

    Keep the settled team.

  • Fatfish says:

    Hello honky-tonks.

    Does anyone know if Billy G is fit after going off on thurs night?

    Wouldn’t mind a 4-2-3-1 tomorrow with sandro coming on for Lennon (yes I know he had a hand in 2 goals last week, but Fulham are a tough proposition at home).

    Friedel
    Walker kaboul king BAE
    Sandro Parker
    Vdv modders bale
    Ade

  • essexian76 says:

    I see no reason to change the side even if Gallas is available. Dropping Kaboul would serve no purpose other than to dent his confidence. Let Gallas have another weeks rest and play a settled team. No midweek fixture means another week nearer to full fitness for many of our crocks, who we’ll need as the games begin to accumulate.

    • Yachtsman says:

      Ditto.

    • SpurredoninDublin says:

      I don’t disagree with you, though on his day, I think WG is better than Kaboul. Really though, I have to say how pleased I am that we now have four CB’s to call on. Can’t remember the last time that was an option for us.

      • essexian76 says:

        Absolutely, Gallas is a class act, but it’s a team game after all and my belief is eleven contented and confident players will always offer more on the field than those like Bassong, who are constantly treading on eggshells, fearful of making a mistake and losing their place. A first team position should never be a gimme, it has to be earned and Kaboul has done nothing to warrant being dropped.

        • Hartley says:

          Completely agree, keep Kaboul in there for the time being, he is doing a sterling job. My prediction 2-2 VdV with the first!

    • Phil McAvity says:

      Yeah I’ll go with that too. If he was fully fit I would put Gallas in but he played on Thursday night, went off injured so let him rest this one so that he’s not crocked again straight away.

  • KevtheRev says:

    That Micheal Jackson statute is the closest Fulham fans will get to having a Thriller, my bets are 3-0 the spurs, I know I’m bad for suggesting this result…

  • SpurredoninDublin says:

    Good to see WG back on Thursday.

    MOTM was clearly Cudicini, which brings me to the question of possibly losing Gomes who has yet to concede a goal (no I don’t count the Stoke penalties) this season. We have three top class GK’s, who are aged 40,38 and 30. I can’t see us getting much more mileage from the first two, and for my money, apart from the howlers he is prone to, Gomes is the best keeper.

    Whether you agree with me or not, do we really want to let him go, when he has potentially another five years life in him, before we get an adequate replacement?

    We are fortunate to have the best choice of GK’s in the world, but you have to wonder how long we can keep this trio, with two of them aware that retirement is not far off.

    • melcyid says:

      Gomes for life!

      • TMWNN says:

        Gomes is a goner. Barring a collapse in form, Friedel won’t be drooped; Gomes wants first team football, but won’t get it at Spurs. He’ll want to go, whether we want him or not.

        • SpurredoninDublin says:

          So the question is, do you think it will be a loss to us?

          The Stats were that last year, the GK from the top eight teams who made the most saves was Gomes. That raises questions about the defence obviously. From what I have seen of the new Manure GK, he needs to be grateful that he has one of the best defences in the league in front of him. They paid £15 mill for him, and I would take Gomes over him anyday.

          So if he goes, that’s what £15 mill buys you, and I think that HR needs to look at in terms of two of the three are unlikely to be around in a couple of years.

        • TMWNN says:

          “So the question is, do you think it will be a loss to us?”

          Difficult to say. It depends on what Gomes we’re talking about; the one who had a large say in us qualifying for the CL or the one of last season who was a liability and looked a nervous wreck, regardless of the stats. If it’s the former, than it will be a big loss. Problem is, he won’t likely be given the chance to prove himself again (not in the PL).

          As for what Redknapp needs to be looking at, I shouldn’t think he gives a toss, long term.

        • SpurredoninDublin says:

          And HR’s attitude might well be a prob, because watching the Rubin game, I didn’t see much to excite me in terms of “future international class” players the other night, though they are improving.

          I can’t see us producing a GK from the ‘kids’, so it appears that our best hope for the future as far as GK’s is concerned is likely to come back and haunt us in another team, while we go back to the days of Sullivan etc.

        • UnkleKev says:

          If it’s a choice between a goalkeeper who is 80% quality all of the time and one who is 100% quality some of time and 60% the rest of the time, give me the solid 80%er every time.

          This is why Friedel is currently playing and Gomes is not. That dodgy 60% unsettles the defence. Currently our defenders know they have a very good ‘keeper behind them which means they can play with more confidence. I don’t see Friedel’s age as a problem. He’s up to the task at the moment and will continue to be so for the remainder of this year and probably next as well, which gives us more than enough time to secure a long-term replacement.

        • SpurredoninDublin says:

          It’s not a question of the the defenders knowing they have a good GK behind them, it’s the GK that needs a good defence in front of him. That’s why Gomes made the most saves of the top eight teams last year, because the defence were frequently absent, as well as being frequently changed due to injuries.

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