{"id":10439,"date":"2024-12-07T11:05:11","date_gmt":"2024-12-07T11:05:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=10439"},"modified":"2024-12-09T12:06:22","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T12:06:22","slug":"a-better-performance-this-year-pretty-please-lads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=10439","title":{"rendered":"A Better Performance This Year, Pretty Please, Lads!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Geraint Watkins live at the Half Moon in Putney \u2013 poorly taken image courtesy of my brother<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Who is it this time?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After ruthlessly despatching old enemies mid-week, it is time for, hopefully, more of the same with a few old friends on Sunday.  We visit Craven Cottage this weekend to play a Fulham side that has just moved up into 6th<\/sup> place with a 3-1 win over Brighton. It was a game I watched in the wee small hours of an Osakan Friday morning, dedicated as I am to my scouting duties, and after taking detailed and highly strategic notes I can report they played alright. However, let\u2019s park Fulham and their fulsome quota of Gooners past and present for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How\u2019s things down Arsenal Way?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Arsenal have played far better than alright recently and will be going for our 5th<\/sup> straight win since the last period of international dullness, having knocked in 15 and conceded only three. Why the upturn? Well, the return of \u00d8de, the special new scoring boots that the boss got for the squad wholesale, and the consistent brilliance of Bukayo Saka have seen the return of the smiley, happy Goonerverse that we all prefer to its grumpier, fractious cousin. That we have done so while making forced changes \/ resting players in defence, midfield and attack is also a good sign. Rotation is more important than ever, I believe, as there will be no winter breaks in the sun this season. MA hasn\u2019t always used the squad widely during his tenure, for good reason in the past, but he has been like a \u2018changes man\u2019 recently. He has also been quick to praise some of the squad players coming in. Kiwior and Zin being the most recent duo to bask in the warm glow of MA\u2019s love after the canter against Man United \u2013 admittedly the worst Surrey Wanderers side since, well actually, only since last season\u2019s shower but then you can only beat what\u2019s planted in front of you. Yes, both Kiwior and Zin made mistakes that put us at risk (as by the way at times do Gabriel and Calafiori), but in what was a rare start at this level recently they both did many good things as well, everyone remembers Zin\u2019s mistake but few mention the important and well-timed interception he made two minutes earlier to stop a break. I have no idea if Gabriel and Calafiori will be fit but if they can\u2019t make it then I am quite happy to go with the same XI against Fulham. Fulham are, if my eyes and the league table are to be believed, a better side than Man United (I enjoyed writing that immensely, especially as it\u2019s true) but I can\u2019t see any reason why we shouldn\u2019t continue on our merry way with another win. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who will deliver the three points?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, MA has been making changes while winning the last four games and only five players have started in every game \u2013 although I am sure you just rattled them off in your head I will list them up anyway \u2013 Raya, Timber, Saliba, \u00d8de and Saka. I am not sure that going away to a team currently in 6th<\/sup> is the place to rest any of them and so would expect all to start. I assume the recently resurgent Rice as well as Kai will also start, which leaves TP \/ Jorginho and Leo \/ Gabi M who have alternated across recent games. I have no idea how MA will look at it but I would prefer the slightly more press-resistant TP5 at DM for this one and the quicker Gabi to exploit a potential Fulham weakness at full-back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 My XI<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timber Saliba Gabriel (Kiwior)<\/em> Calafiori (Zin<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partey \u00d8de Rice<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Saka Kai Gabi M<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What about Fulham?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, it must be said they are not at our level. However, secondly it must also be said that they weren\u2019t at our level last season either and we dropped 5 points via a disappointing home draw against 10 men and then slightly under a year ago, on New Year\u2019s Eve, things went even more pear-shaped with an away defeat that was so bad even the normally smooth waters of the Holic pond were a tad agitated (read the report<\/a> and drinks of 1st<\/sup> January 2024 if you don\u2019t believe such a thing to be even possible!). Fulham have started well enough this season though I think the fixture list has been kind and, of course, they now have the services of Bernd Leno, Alex Iwobi, Reiss Nelson (on loan) and one of our favourite sons, Emile Smith-Rowe. I generally wish them well but sentiment be damned and I hope we give them a good stuffing this time round. MA was asked about ESR at his presser and spoke of his real gratitude for ESR\u2019s contribution over several months at a difficult time for the club. They were undoubtedly ESR\u2019s finest hours for us and many believe they were instrumental in saving MA\u2019s job. We will never know the truth of that of course but it\u2019s certainly true that I was very grateful too at the time!   It was a joy to see such a great Arsenal lad and a cracking player get his moments in the sun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, that was then and this is now, so how will Fulham line up? Generally, 4-2-3-1 in front of Leno. This season has regularly seen the three to be Iwobi \u2013 ESR \u2013 Nelson and with some degree of success. The last game against Brighton saw Iwobi further back with Pereira rested (dropped?) and he had an excellent game scoring twice and generally Iwobi-ing around to good effect. ESR on the other hand was very quiet and looked slightly out-of-sorts. Nelson did a hammy during the game but, of course, couldn\u2019t have played against us anyway. I imagine Adama Traore will take his place. However, Silva takes off all the front 4 in almost every game regardless of who starts so other familiar names like Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenz will appear at some point. Their defence has looked suspect to me whenever I have seen them and I hope Saka will have some joy against Robinson (he has scored in the last two against Fulham) and either Martinelli or Trossard against either Tete or an aging Castagne on the other wing. Probably Bassey and Diop will start as CBs, they look somewhat loose to me and Brighton wasted several good chances to get back in the game. Opportunities will certainly come our way unless Marco Silva decides to shut up shop and go with a 5-4-1 formation. In that case, step forward the best set-piece team in Europe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh! I almost forgot, a quick run-through of Fulham\u2019s history. They have never won anything worth noting though they did get to the FA Cup Final in 1975 with Bobby Moore and Alan Mullery but lost to a West Ham side that had also, annoyingly, knocked us out in the quarter-finals.  Fulham are however the oldest club in London, having been founded in 1879, and have played at Craven Cottage since 1896. Before that they had used a variety of venues including The Mud Pond in Fulham and The Half-Moon in Putney on what I assume was a football pitch, or perhaps another pond, next to the famous old pub. By quite an astonishing coincidence my brother watched Geraint Watkins and the Mosquitos live at the very same pub last week \u2013 photographic evidence above. I honestly cannot imagine what else anyone would want to know about Fulham after reading that exclusive. However, I can share that the one and only original Guvnor and many other Holics have often enjoyed visiting the ground, quite startling in its difference from the unpleasant atmosphere at the nearby bus stop. Let\u2019s hope it\u2019s an enjoyable visit this time too, which brings us neatly to the score. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given our current return to robust good health, I expect us to stick at least three past their suspect defence. It would be a fitting atonement for the sins of the past season and exactly the sort of better performance requested in the headline to this piece. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fulham seem to almost always score at home so 3-1 would be my prediction for this week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s about it for now, as ever thanks to all our readers, hope to see you at the drinks in the bar and enjoy the game wherever you may be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Who is it this time? After ruthlessly despatching old enemies mid-week, it is time for, hopefully, more of the same with a few old friends on Sunday.  We visit Craven Cottage this weekend to play a Fulham side that has just moved up into 6th place with a 3-1 win over Brighton. It was a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10439"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10439"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10439\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10452,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10439\/revisions\/10452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10439"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10439"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10439"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}