Scott Parker admitted that he is looking to bring in new faces after Fulham slumped to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Arsenal on the opening day of the new Premier League season.
The Fulham boss has urged his players not to be too downhearted after they were outclassed by the clinical Gunners, who were ruthless after a slow start at Craven Cottage. Parker told his post-match press conference:
I think, like anything, when you are a team like us you need to quickly learn and that has been the constant message from me since we have been back. This year we are going to lose football matches, but what we can’t afford to do is when you go and lose two or three on the bounce – which is going to happen with us – you can’t let it cripple you.
You need to learn from it, you need to develop, you need to be big enough to understand where the mistakes are made. With regards to bringing players in, I think we all realise when you step up from the Championship to the Premier League it is a massive jump. We have seen it in spurts today and what that quality is.
For sure, for us to evolve and us to develop we need to bring players into this team that are going to improve us and going to make us better. That’s our aim. Obviously in the short space, we have brought players in that I feel will improve us, but still there are the people in the background doing all they can to help us, the team and the club
The 3 main issue are the centre of defence, play maker,and striker
It’s gonna be hard did not fill we were that bad v a very good side, but the first two goals were very bad can’t do that in Premiership . All know we need a CB, it’s sad to watch Ream spoil all the good work he’s done for club
Been kept saying we need to sign a top defender to play alongside Hector,Ream is not premiership,good championship defender but premiership a real no no.Sign Smalling and get the defence sorted out and work from there.Mitrovic needs support and let’s sign King and not sign players we have never heard of.
Seri is wanted by Inter, swap deal for a CB from Inter would be ideal. Not too downhearted from today but the 10-12 wins and some draws will do us. 37 games left to get them! COYW
Ream played better than Hector yet is still the one that gets slated? Hector was all over the place. It just sounds like a broken record now. The squad is bottom six calibre, which is fine. I thought they all played with fear today, apart from Mitro, but hopefully that’s out of their system. Like last year just too slow. New recruits will help but they can all play better than today.
Ream was actually ok apart from the goal. I’m not sure any of the back 4 are good enough. The gulf in class was massive. Arsenal probably one of best sIdes so was always going to be tough…but…as we all know that back 4 will get us relegated without a doubt. Cant understand why new recruits at CB wasn’t dealt with on day 1 of promotion. Desperately need a decent pacy striker too. It’s not difficult to see what we need. What has Khan been doing for the past 6 weeks?
Why oh why was the CB position not deemed as priority from day 1 we need 2 real hard men leaders in that position several players were ‘found out’ today we’re Bobby Reid and Captain Cairney actually playing the Spine of the team needs to be tough then play off that
I agree with other comments that Hector showed his inexperience at Premiership level and will find himself getting red cards if he does not rapidly learn to stop diving in.
I also feel that if Cairney is going to continue to pass sideways and backwards then we need to use another midfielder with a higher work rate.
Finally we need some pace in midfield and up front to support Mitrovic
It’s all well and good only making 1 mistake but his mistakes are costly. Hector wasn’t great today but Reamhas never been a good Premier league defender at Bolton or Fulham.
Go and get Godfrey or a young British CB.
The defense has been the problem for the last two seasons and still it hasn’t been prioritised. How long do they need to realise it? When we had a good run in the Premiership under Roy Hodgson it was because he sorted the defense first and built from there. The current owners and management have learnt nothing.
We need two quality centre backs, if the club can’t see that then they deserve what’s coming, hector and ream are not premiership players, buy two good centre half’s or its relegation
New Face in the dugout would be great
Ian Preston
One game after a play off final win Wants a new face in dug out
Alfayed was talking to u when he said f*** off down the road to Chelsea if u don’t like it
Fickle as f***
I have been saying all Pre season the urgent need for a centre back.Hector was worse than Tim Ream on the day and that is saying something. Odoi (bless him) looked good going forward but was completely exposed defensively. Apart from Harrison Reed our midfield was anonymous. However when Zambo Anguissa came on he looked the part. Mitro was really missed and only AK47 with his pace and power looked the slightest bit likely to do anything up front.With Leeds coming up next week we must change our defence before then.
Hughes and Hangeland, anybody? We will need a minimum of 2 players of that calibre, and tbh I’ve never thought that any of our back four are any better than good championship players. Ream, Bryan and Odoi were all turned over last time round. Obvious that we need to think again. Get a shift on Tony.
Thing we’re picking on all the players to much after one game v a top Both CB made mistakes and were short there seem in short supply. Keep hearing fans say got get Smalling if it was that easy. He don’t want to play for any lower Premiership side heart set on going back to Roma. Apart didn’t feel rest of side were that bad v very good side who won FA Cup and beat Liverpool fought full backs played well and under rated Odoi MOM
Like many fans was hoping for a close loss or even draw …., at 0-1 down seemed possible and lads were doing well . We won a couple of corners and had Mitro been there to head in , well you never know. But when the Gunners upped the tempo the class divide broke through . Not sure we can put all this on the back 4 ( Hector and Ream both struggled but also had fine moments ) the middle was sluggish and the front could not get through their defense . But this was Arsenal .. Yes we need new CD and go back to days of “Fortress Fulham” – Parker is long term builder – he will be working on this . Lets give him credit what has been done and best to get the right players than panic buy . Parker did right thing letting last years victors have first taste of the “ top league in world “ – he kept up team spirit , saw the challenges first hand and soon will deploy the new band of Mario Lemina, Kenny Tete, Olna Aina and Alphonse Areola. The real test is away at Leeds ( who played well against Liverpool ) and then the. winnable games . This is going to be tough season with loads of downs but only at end of season if relegated can we ever talk of a “new face in the dug out “ . ! COW
BTW – Zambo Anguissa clearly a first start player … ! Will be a great credit to team this year
Parker is not picking.the Players, an American amateur is! Its a scandal !!