Fulham's Finest

Clint Dempsey, like many Fulham players, had a great match. Story of the season though, they didn't get the result.

After a match that tested the peaks and troughs of my emotional roller coaster, I don’t have much in the way of words that I can do to describe what just happened or how I am feeling.  I can only do my best to put down on “paper” what my feelings are going forward for this club.  And it’s not good. The 6 goal outburst against QPR feels like a distant memory, doesn’t it?

Now, let it be known that I am the last person to overreact, to things like this, and just so we know, that’s not what I’m doing here.  But I would be lying to you if certain thoughts weren’t creeping through my head.

It’s been well documented how much I have backed Martin Jol.  Well, maybe backed isn’t the proper word, nor is supported.  But I have defended him, saying he needs more time.  Saying things he’s being blamed for aren’t his fault.  And it’s true, I still stand by those statements.  However, I can’t help but think to myself that, after what is obviously the most important match of the young season and of his Fulham tenure, and a match that, whatever happens later in the season, you can look back on and point to, saying it was a defining match, he failed to come through in the most gut-wrenching way possible.  And for that, maybe he isn’t the right person to get the best out of the squad.  Did he do anything obvious in this match to cause me to blame him for the loss? Absolutely not.  Hell, he brought in Bryan Ruiz, who played brilliantly, scored the equalizer, and shone for the first time in White.  He brought on Aaron Hughes, who all Fulham fans know is one of the best defenders on the club (if not THE best) despite a slight knock to the knee.  Could he be blamed for when Hughes was beat for the winner by Saha? Of course not.  Who would have seen that coming? A psychic maybe, but no other.  But maybe it’s time the chatter turns to the fact that, like Jol or not, blame him or not, the results aren’t there.  And at the end of the day, those are what matter.

The other thought running through my head is even worse.  Fulham are dropping points left and right.  And from here, the gauntlet is only beginning.  With such matches as away at Wigan, Sunderland, and Arsenal as well as home vs Spurs and Liverpool on the horizon, thoughts of the worst are dancing through my head like sugar plums.  How far will they fall? Seeing as we can’t beat anyone on the road, even Wigan seems like a daunting task.

Finally, is this not one of the most unlucky stretches you can remember? Zamora converts that simple chance 999 times out of 1000.  He did so incredibly well to find himself in that position, only to kick the game away over the bar.  The phantom red cards, the unlucky misses (Riise hitting the corner post against Krakow, anyone?), despite the chance of a jinx, all this season needs is one or two serious injuries to completely set it up for a rubbishing.  The gods seem to be conspiring against us.

So where does the club go from here? The feeling around me right now is just about as dark, low, and sunk that is physically possible this early in the season.  Suggestions on changes that are needed should be left in the comment box.  Certainly Jol has to change SOMETHING to get this club going.  Or maybe they just ride out the string of bad luck until it turns around? Who even knows.  I think the term “gutted” sums up how I feel right now perfectly, and I don’t have any desire to look ahead.  Especially when it feels like the tunnel Fulham are in has a looooooooooong way to go before the light peeks through.

/depressing blog post
/overreaction

Am I really overreacting though?