It's all over - isn't it?

Well, here we go again. The day before yet another 'must win' match. I have lost count of the times that I have written those words this season. Most people, it seems, are pretty much resigned to the prospect of being relegated. There is still, however, a mathematical chance of survival and while that remains - almost as annoying as that is - I suppose we have to keep hoping for a miracle. Do I think it's possible? Not at all.

That said, we at FtF have the tickets to tomorrow's match and plan to make the most of what will be a sell-out away end atmosphere. At the very least, we can show the rest of the Premier League that we may be condemned to the Championship, we're as passionate as any fans in any part of the country. So those of you going tomorrow, sing up and sing loud. If we win then, who knows, but certainly don't hope for any more than a good day out.

Survival is NOT that difficult

Okay, bizarre as it might sound given our current league position, managing to survive in the Premier League isn't - or, at least, shouldn't be - a difficult task. We have only won four times all season, none of which have been away, yet we're still not completely out of the running.

Everyone goes on about how it is the hardest league in the world but I don't actually believe that is the case. As long as you have a half decent squad of players and an inspirational manager at the helm, making sure you stay in the top 17 positions should not pose much of a problem.

I hope we stay up but personally I don't believe we deserve to. You simply cannot lose at home to one of the league's weakest teams and only get a draw away against the team set to be officially crowned the worst in the division's history, and expect to stay up.

We had every chance to salvage the situation but have failed to do so. Whose fault is it? To be honest I really don't know. The malaise started long before Hodgson rolled up in SW6 but he certainly hasn't been able to turn things around in the short time he's been here.

For the past two weekends the team that has taken the field has been one devoid of any confidence. They are playing like a group which knows it is going down. The most honourable will be looking ahead to next season's promotion battle; the rest will be plotting their escape.

FtF campaign: Bring back BOCA!

Our defensive ineptitude against both Derby and Sunderland has, I fear, cost us any chance of salvaging what has been a truly woeful season. Hughes and Hangeland have been particularly culpable - the latter's worst period coming when he made THREE mistakes in the lead up to gifting Sunderland their third goal after Healy had given us a lifeline.

One thing is clear: Boca needs to be restored to the side. Yes I know he's got previous for giving away stupid fouls in dangerous positions but I think he'll add some steel to the side. But who should give way? Well, in hoping that Hangeland's Horror Show can be confined to last weekend (bearing in mind he was my man of the match against Everton) I think it should be Hughes.

Fulham V Sunderland: Player rankings

Here's how I scored the lads against Sunderland.

Keller – 6/10
Conceding three at home won’t go down as one of his better days, although he was left totally exposed by the ineptitude of the defence and did manage to pull off a couple of fine saves to keep the scoreline respectable.

Konchesky – 5/10
Frustrating. Every time he makes a run he checks back. Just run with the ball for f***’s sake.

Hangeland – 1/10
Woeful.

Hughes – 2/10
At fault for Sunderland’s second. I say it again – he needs to make way for Boca.

Stalteri – 5/10
Reasonably solid. Had to make way for Roy’s attacking changes late on.

Bullard – 7/10
An A for effort. Dynamic in the first half, ran out of puff in the second.

Murphy – 6/10
Not a bad game – for him. One great bit of skill followed by two dire passes but hey.

Andreason – 5/10
Totally ineffective.

Davies – 5/10
Tried but didn’t make much headway. The moment he did a complete 360 while in position of the ball – and then lost it – summed up his afternoon.

Kamara – 7/10
Full of running. Was one of the only players on the pitch to show desire.

McBride – 6/10
The spirit is willing; the body is weak. All I saw was an old pro out there today.

Substitutes

Dempsey – 5/10
Failed to make much of an impression

Healy – 7/10
Electric. Turned the game around with a wonder goal and full of passion.

Bouazza – 5/10
Okay. Nothing special.

Man of the match: David Healy. For making us believe...albeit for just a few minutes.

Shocking stuff

With the possible exception of being holed up in a five star luxury hotel with two Swedish nymphomaniacs (female, that is), I cannot usually think of a single place I would rather be on a Saturday afternoon than at the football.

Yesterday at 4.45pm I wanted to be anywhere but Craven Cottage. A soul-destroying, yet utterly predictable defeat that makes relegation a probability rather than a possibility sucked out my will to live. Miserable and gloomy, the weather mirrored my mood.

But it wasn’t just me that was feeling the strain.

The demoralising way in which we capitulated – yet again – also triggered a worrying step-change in the attitude of the crowd. Until now Roy’s Army have enjoyed pretty much 100% support on the terraces (oh, okay then, plastic seats) but people are now running out of patience.

The mood among those fans that remained in their seats to the bitter end – rather than joining the river of black and white heading for the exits - began to turn ugly. Tempers were well and truly frayed. It’s unpleasant to see fans turning on each other but perhaps understandable.

One fiercely contested debate – concerning the virtues or otherwise of Joe Kamara – kicked off right in front of me. It was purely a combination of frustration and disappointment but it was upsetting to see and symptomatic of our current plight.

My guess, or hope at least, is that the usual good humour for which Fulham fans are known will return by the time Liverpool pitch up in SW6, if only for the fact that by then the vast majority of us will be pretty much resigned to our fate.

The only way now, it seems, is down but I just hope we can take our final bow in the Premier League together rather than apart.

Sanchez better than Hodgson

No of course I don't believe this for a second but that is what the raw statistics comparing both managers' first 12 games in charge show. Shocking stuff eh?

Both managers had six home and six away games and came into the teams cold - Sanchez away at Reading and Hodgson at home to Chelsea. They also came up against a top four side on three occassions each so I think the analysis is fair.

Sanchez
Won: 2 (both home)
Lost: 6 (one home, five away)
Drew: 4 (three home, one away)
Goals scored: 16
Goals conceeded: 22
Points total: 10

Hodgson
Won: 2 (both home)
Lost: 7 (four home, three away)
Drew: 3 (all away)
Goals scored: 8
Goals conceeded: 18
Points total: 9

Derby v Fulham: Player rankings

Hi all...rather later than planned - due to building work at home - here are my player rankings for last Saturday's ultimately disappointing trip to Derby.

Keller - 7/10
Was not at fault for either goal - particularly the first - and kept us in it with a string of fine saves.

Hughes - 5/10
Played a major part in the disaster that let Derby back into the game. Strong case for him to be replaced by Boca going forward.

Hangeland - 5/10
No back four that conceedes two against the team's bottom club can expect much in the way of praise. Showed no signs of the command displayed against Man Utd recently.

Konchesky - 5/10
Okay. Looked slightly jaded.

Stalteri - 6/10
An okay performance. Nothing earth shattering but the best right back we have at the club.

Bouazza - 6/10
Lacked first team match sharpness but unfairly booed by some parts of the Fulham support. Even though his 'goal' was a deflection he was in the right place at the right time.

Bullard - 6/10
Not one of his better days. Anonymous for large parts of the match.

Andreason - 6/10
See above. Not a great day.

Davies - 7/10
Full of running. Kept things moving in midfield and fought his heart out.

Kamara - 7/10
A good performance and excellent goal to settle the nerves after Derby's opener.

McBride - 6/10
Average performance. Suffered from a lack of service.

Substitutes
Murphy - 6/10
Okay, nothing spectacular, although time on the pitch was limited.

Johnson - 6/10
Looked lively but not given enough time to impress.

Man of the match: Simon Davies. Gave it his all.