Fulham were indebted to Raul Jimenez for rescuing a point against a revitalised Ipswich Town at a wet and windswept Craven Cottage this afternoon. The Tractor boys led twice but the veteran Mexican centre forward calmly converted two penalties to earn Marco Silva’s side a share of the spoils. A draw was probably the right result, but both sides could point to periods in a mad match where they might easily have plundered all three points.
Ipswich were more than a match for the Cottagers at Portman Road in August, where they collected their first Premier League point in more than two decades, and Kieran McKenna’s men have improved massively since then. They certainly don’t have the air of a side destined for the drop – and McKenna, one of the most impressive managers in the country, will probably feel like they should have followed up an outstanding win over Chelsea with a victory at the capital’s oldest professional club. Liam Delap was a handful all afternoon and, playing like this, Town should easily avoid relegation.
Silva made just one change from the side that had squandered a winning position in the dying embers of last Sunday’s battle with Bournemouth as Tom Cairney replaced Andreas Pereira in central midfield. That meant Fulham matched Ipswich’s recent switch to three centre halves, although the visitors had to do without the creativity of Omari Hutchinson, who injured his groin in the warm up. It was the home side who made the early running, even if Delap left a mark on Sasa Lukic – smashing straight into the Serbian’s face from the kick off, but Fulham struggled to create a clear-cut chance early on against a determined collection of pink-shirted defenders.
Sammie Smozdics came within inches of sliding onto a dangerous cross from the lively Leif Davis on a rare Ipswich foray forward, but the visitors looked dangerous whenever the former Blackburn attacker, Delap or Nathan Broadhead got on the ball. Fulham probed patiently, but their first opening took more than twenty minutes to arrive as Jimenez headed too close to Christian Walton from a lofted Cairney cross. Alex Iwobi saw his snapshot bravely blocked by Jens Cajuste before Davis was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after hacking down Harry Wilson as the Welsh winger raced through on goal following a lovely give-and-go with Jimenez. Referee Darren Bond might have reasoned that Jacob Greaves could have reached Wilson – but it was one of a number of perplexing decisions from an official who looked out of his depth.
Silva seethed on the sidelines and his mood would only grow darker ten minutes later when a comedy of errors at the back gifted Ipswich the lead. Broadhead chipped a ball to the back post where Ben Johnson rose above Antonee Robinson and headed against the bar. Calvin Bassey had plenty of time to clear his lines but panicked and picked out Smozdics, whose shot rolled off the Nigerian defender and past a ballistic Bernd Leno.
Silva introduced Emile Smith Rowe for Issa Diop at half time but the tide didn’t turn as quickly as Fulham hoped. They pushed for a leveller, for sure, with Iwobi skewing a shot wide after creating a yard of space in the box and Smith Rowe somehow heading wide at the back post when it appeared easier to score, but Broadhead brought a brilliant save out of Leno when he drove Timothy Castagne’s clearing header towards the top corner.
The hosts, now with Pereira on for Cairney and Rodrigo Muniz partnering Jimenez up front, hurtled down the other end. Bond inexplicably waved play on after Sam Morsy brought down Wilson in the area, but reversed his decision after being sent to the pitchside monitor by the video assistant referee. Jimenez caressed the penalty under Walton’s body to become the leading Mexican scorer in Premier League history, but Fulham immediately shot themselves in the foot. Castagne caught Delap in the area – with the contact too clear for this to be second error in seconds by the official – and the Ipswich striker slammed home the spot-kick before sprinting away to celebrate with the delirious travelling fans.
Fulham had it all to do once again. Jimenez headed Robinson’s free-kick fractionally wide of the far post before Silva sent on Adama Traore, but it was the former Sunderland winger Jack Clark, who almost won it for Ipswich at the other end, with his daisycutter coming back off the near post. McKenna withdrew Delap to a rapturous reception from the away contingent in the Putney End, but Jimenez had the final say after latching onto a lovely Smith Rowe ball and being tripped by Davis. He picked his spot with precision as Delap held his head in the dugout, but neither side could find a winner in seven minutes of stoppage time.
FULHAM (3-4-3): Leno; Diop (Smith Rowe 45), Andersen, Bassey; Castagne, A. Robinson, Lukic (Traore 79), Cairney (Pereira 63); Wilson, Iwobi (Muniz 63), Jimenez. Subs (not used): Benda, Cuenca, R. Sessegnon, King, Godo.
BOOKED: Pereira.
GOALS: Jimenez (pen 69, pen 90+1).
IPSWICH TOWN (3-4-2-1): Walton; O’Shea, Wolfenden, Greaves; Johnson (Burns 80), Davis, Morsy, Cajuste (Phillips 73); Smzodics (Taylor 73), Broadhead (J. Clarke 80); Delap (Al-Hamadi 88). Subs (not used): Muric, H. Clarke, Burgess, Townsend.
BOOKED: Davis, Broadhead, O’Shea, Morsy, Johnson.
GOALS: Smozdics (38), Delap (pen 71).
REFEREE: Darren Bond (Lancashire).
ATTENDANCE: 29,589.
I know we are missing Berge but I still think three at the back was far too negative against a bottom three side who were prepared to sit back and catch us on the break. Seems like we struggle to break down teams who do this. High crosses into the box were never going to succeed against such a tall and well drilled defense. I thought that we bought players like ESR to run into the box, but a lot of the time he seemed to be sitting too deep. Lukic my man of the match. Can’t understand why VAR didn’t see Delap clatter him right at the off.
Shame that Berge was injured as this seemed like a game that would have suited him. Neither Lukic or TC are box to box midfielders.
Nick are you American?
The line-up for the first half sacrificed a LOT of creativity in order to get Jedi all the way forward to play winger. Against Chelsea, this was great – it worked then. Yay! Must we play it every week now? I thought 5ATB was a clever change-up, not an approach we were getting permanently tattooed on our faces.
The problem with sacrificing so much to leverage Jedi upfield is that his main strength – speed – was neutralized by an Ipswich defense that was (unsurprisingly) inside the most parked of buses. There was no one or nowhere for Jedit to ‘run past’ when he had the ball. The Ipswich defense was already as far back as they could go, so Jedi (and our attack as a whole) had nowhere to go.
This game needed unlocking attackers; not counter-attackers. TC started, but maybe ESR should have as well. Marco knows a lot more than I do, but this feels like the purest distillation of our “play great against the big boys but struggle to break down the weaker teams who won’t let us counter.”
And zippa – yes, I am.
No Zippa. Just forgot how to spell defence!
???? to McKenna. He kept Ipswich very deep and then strike on counter. Fulham frustrated and just attacking on wings and crossing into Centre with high balls. Second half bit better as trying to break centre – first signs that ESR can make a différence – even if still a way to go . The referee was very suspect – penalizing Fulham for good tackles taking ball off the opposition .
That’s all three of our central defenders that have made costly errors in consecutive games. Just why Silva opted, once again, for this set up is a mystery. It clearly doesn’t work at home to sides that are hell bent on getting everybody behind the ball when threatened and leaves us a man short further forward.
Thankfully, he saw the error of his ways at half time.
Jedi is effective in an attacking sense when he storms forward from a defensive position, starting his runs from deep, not, as Silva seems to think, when he plays, virtually, as a winger, receiving the ball out wide and starting his attempts at wing play with no momentum.
With teams like Ipswich, they need to be broken down by wingers who can take on their fullbacks and get around their defence.
Unfortunately, on the right flank, Wilson, for all his efforts, never attempts to go on the outside and, invariably, passes backwards or sideways when he receives the ball out wide.
So, in the first half that we dominated, our build up play was too slow to unlock a strong Ipswich defence.
This is nothing new. For a long time, we have been struggling to create clear cut chances at home.
It needs fixing. If Reiss Nelson’s injury was going to keep him out for so long and, according to Marco Silva, he is still a long way from a return, a winger who attacks his fullback on the outside should have been identified and signed in this window. Hopefully, it has and we will see something happen.
On the positive side, once again, we never gave up and kept plugging away but it was, in the main, huff and puff.
Almost unnoticed, Bernd Leno produced another brilliant save.
Joachim Andersen was producing some quality, defence splitting long passes – something that had disappeared from his game for some reason.
Raoul Jiminez was outstanding and never stopped running and took his penalties expertly.
Whatever happened to Silva’s statement, after the Forest game, that Pereira was our penalty taker?
Thank God that wasn’t the case. His corners, following his short appearance confirmed the fact that the one for Jiminez’s goal vs Bournemouth, was a total fluke.
Still and all, we are mid-table and we will stay there as long as we pick up single points. Only Brighton have more draws than us.
Apart from the header from Jiminez in the first half, their keeper had nothing to do and most keepers coming to the Cottage, have had similar experiences of late- which tells us everything.
Even the big bad wolf, for all his huff and puff, met his match when he came up against a house of brick.
We need Berg back. Lukic along with Jiminez was MOM. Shame Tete is injured to me he is far superior to Castagne. Needed Traore earlier he was prepared to take on players and be direct. Cairney is better as a Substitute. 5 at the back at home to a team like Ipswich was a big mistake
If we have pretensions to qualifying for one of the European cups then this was another reminder that this side has some way to develop yet. Silva must be frustrated that players who have cost a lot of money are so ineffective. Ipswich, Southampton and Wolves. Just not good enough I’m afraid.
Charles could not have said it better. 5 at the back does not make any sense, especially when playing sides who come to Craven Cottage to defend. Bassey doing runs into the opposing box looks comic, and then we all saw what happened when he had to run back to actually defend. Also, who can we produce a quick attack when Cairney moves at the pace of a snail? Most of his passing is lateral, he was not able to thread a single direct pass or at least a shot from outside the box. We were far too slow with the ball. This team desperately needs a box to box midfielder of some quality. The time of our long serving midfielders Reed and Crainey in the premier is sadly over. We will never progress into a side fighting for European qualification if these are the options available to our gaffer. Silva will have to leave in order to match his ambition if we keep having this small club mentality.
I cannot work out why we played that formation at home I thought Silva was a good planner like game per game basis I am totally bewildered we play 4231 against Arsenal etc but Ipswich we play 541 why?did Silva mention this at his post match press conference? I did not see it when we played with 4231 second half things started to happen zxx Leno again pulled off a couple of good saves but that’s what he gets paid for some bad errors Castagne tackle experienced defender when are you most vulnerable when you have just scored your head is all over the place I can understand some young defender but not a defender like ,Castagne ESR seemed uninterested again waste of money that’s why Arsenal got rid of him Perreira the same uninterested Lukic,Wilson,and Jimenez the only ones who wanted it enough need a winger who can take players on let’s wait and see two points lost again lastly I thought the Ref was terrible I don’t normally slag off referees but the standard is not very good but we have to suffer that what team will he field against Watford maybe Cuenca and Fig Rolls with Benda in goal1?
Keith I think you are being unfair to ESR. For the 1st penalty he picked the ball up and ran at the Ipswich defence before putting Wilson in. For the 2nd he picked the ball up deep then further upfield where he played a superb ball into Raul whoose experience gained the penalty. Maybe he should be playing further forward. Nobody seems to want to mention the handball by Wolfenden.
Yeah Ok CB your right but where’s his best position I don’t think Silva knows but it’s very frustrating for us as fans we want him to do well for us but the season is half way thru so who knows The tackle on Wilson when he was thru was a red I sure Wilson would of put it away if he had got thru and the handball yes I agree a pen I wonder what would have happened if Anderson or Bassey would have made that tackle it would have been a red or the handball by one of our players