Marco Silva felt Fulham’s fine victory at Crystal Palace this afternoon served as a fitting tribute to Fulham’s World Cup winning full back George Cohen, who passed away on Friday at the age of 83.
The Fulham head coach told his post-match press conference at Selhurst Park following the Whites’ 3-0 win that his team talk centred around winning in a way that Cohen, who made 459 appearances in a thirteen year career at Craven Cottage, would have appreciated.
“It was a sad week for us as a football club. he Fulham family lost one of the best, if not the best, and greatest players from this football club. Not just on the pitch, but off the pitch he had this connection with the community as well. It was such a sad week for us, of course, and the last few days all our thoughts were with his family, and with him as well. We mentioned with the players how it was important for us to perform, in our way, with our identity, and how that will be important for us as a football club, and for our fans as well.”
Fulham were comprehensive winners on their return from the winter break, with Bobby Decordova-Reid heading the visitors in front from a fine Aleksandar Mitrovic cross. The complexion of the contest changed with red cards shown to Palace defenders Tyrell Mitchell and James Tomkins either side of half-time and Tim Ream’s first Premier League goal was followed by Mitrovic’s tenth of season to cap the perfect away display.
“We had a plan and the players stuck really well to the plan. We were brave from the first minute. We knew before the match how they have been strong at home. I think their home record speaks for itself. The last three games at home, they won them all in a row. You know when they have players like Zaha, if you don’t control their attack really well, if you don’t press them from the first minute, with good organisation and being really aggressive, it will be tough for you.
I think we were the best team from the first minute, the way we started to control the game. After the red card, we showed the maturity that you have to play at this level against these type of sides. Our speech during half time was to try and score the second goal as soon as we can, because we know that all their belief and energy will go down if we score the second goal. Until then, they keep believing because in one counter-attack, in one set-piece, they can equalise, with players like Zaha, again, they can do something, or in one individual moment from Eze. And I think our central defenders dealt really well with that situation.
Of course, after the second goal we almost killed the game and we controlled the game. We got another one, with more chances to score, but I think we deserved it as we were clearly the best team on the pitch.”
