to represent me.
How many times over the years have we been told that there’s no point in a player arguing with the referee about a decision the ref has made? Well that’s all been turned on it’s head now hasn’t it with whatever Huddlestone said to Mike Dean that made the man with the whistle have a word with his assistant and then change his initial decision of not giving the goal.
As the ball’s kicked Galls is marginally offside in the old version of the rules, where it was all black and white, very simple to understand and less confusing for all involved. But now with the current laws of the game he wasn’t in the line of the ‘keeper and didn’t touch the ball. So he’s on. And if making a lunge to try and touch the ball made him active then the deflection off a Fulham leg negates that. Ref and linesman got together to get the right decision and isn’t that what we are told everyone wants.
Whatever you feel about the legitimacy of the goal we can all agree that seeing Mark Hughes with that sucking lemons phizog in full irate “but eh” whinge mode made it all worthwhile.
Spurs really must be a top 4 side now with things like that going our way. Another good come from behind victory. Not a great performance but enough to inflict Fulham’s first defeat of the season and again the rights and wrongs of the goal aside a well deserved and justified victory.
Was it a shock ‘Arry starting with Ledley? Probably. But when you look at it this is probably the more important game, can’t be losing too much ground this early in the league season, with the 3 points it keeps us level with those in 3rd and 4th. Added to that it should have meant he was available for the next league fixture, a tough one against Everton. Save him for Wednesday and it’s just one game and if god forbid it’s lost, then it’s a waste. Yeah I know I said previously we need Ledley fit to face Inter, especially with the way Eto’o looked in the last round of games but can see it ‘Arry’s way now.
Of course things didn’t quite go to plan there with Ledley’s departure just before the break, with a groin injury. It’s more central defensive upheaval but on the plus side it gave Gallas and Bassong a half to get to know each other a bit better before the trip to Milan.
Usual all at seaness for Fulham’s opener. Though did Dempsey control the ball with his upper arm, followed by ball watching and general slackness by Gallas saw Kamara have a pretty much open goal at the back stick, so open even disposable Kamara couldn’t miss.
And as the poor little team’s fans actually decided to make some noise, their choice of song bit them on the arse before they could really even get the full thing out. As from the kick-off Bale headed down the left, found van der Vaart in the box, the Dutchman turned and quite beautifully chipped Schwarzer, within what 8 yards of space. It was a piece of skill very much deserving a goal, it got it but for Pavlyuchenko who was on the back stick for another tap in.
Van der Vaart had a quite game, by his recent standards, though of course with that bit of skill still managed to have a great influence. The second half midfield line up of Lennon, Modric, Huddlestone, Bale with the Dutchman in front of them looks about as good as you can get around the game, though they all were a bit quiet, there was flashes of what we’re hoping to see in the future. Nice little triangles between Lennon, Modric and vdV in the second half. The little winger coming on for Sandro, who while not being outstanding had a reasonable first league start, once he gets up to pace it should be a struggle for Palacios and especially Jenas to get in the side.
They had chances but Gomes was in full flying octopus mode, same could be said the other way round as Schwarzer did his bit. Spurs helped by Danny Murphy going off as he’s the heart of Fulham really and Greening is inept when trying to play that role, actually inept at playing most roles on the field. Then Huddlestone’s screamer, can’t half hit a ball that kid. Disposable missed a sitter as MotD made it look like the game was all Fulham but the points ended up where they deserved to be.