Harry Wilson felt Fulham delivered a warning to the rest of the Championship after the Whites climbed back into the automatic promotion places by thrashing Reading 7-0.
The Welsh winger admitted his team-mates were desperate to get back into league action after losing to Sheffield United before Christmas and were frustrated by three postponements that robbed them off the opportunity to put things right. Wilson told FFCTV:
“We’d waited so long for that game to come around. We knew our form before that wasn’t great, it took a bit of dip, so we were all desperate to get out there tonight and put on a performance to show the rest of the league what we’re capable of. 7-0 is an amazing scoreline, but I feel our performance deserved that.
Wilson was modest in his assessment of his own performance, which included two goals, two assists and winning the penalty that gave Fulham breathing space on the stroke of half time.
“I felt my game was good tonight. I didn’t think I started great to be honest, but we pressed well for the first goal. It was a gift for me and that gave me the confidence to kick on in the game. To have a hand in all six goals whilst you are on the pitch, you can’t ask for much. To round it off with Mitro’s tap in at the end was great to get another 7-0 win.
I think tonight shows why our form before Christmas – where we went five without a win – was so frustrating. We knew we weren’t getting to the levels we know we can play at. Tonight we were very good, we were back to those levels. It’s up to us to put in another performance on Saturday, get another three points and make sure we keep adding up those points.”
Wilson revealed that Marco Silva is key to keeping Fulham level-headed and he reiterated that the real target is reclaiming top spot in the table.
“The gaffer keeps our feet firmly on the ground. He’s always pushing us for more – even though we won 7-0. There’s still a long way to go in the season and he makes sure we are ready for the next game. After our last big win at Blackburn, we went on a big run. After three weeks off, we’re raring to go. We want to show the league that we’re Fulham and we want to be at the top.”
OK let’s not get carried away here. A thumping is great, but Reading handed the first 2 goals on a plate, not forgetting the loss of their main centre back after 5 mins – then in the second half they fell apart.
Bristol City will be a different kettle of fish. They will be defensive, they will harry and press, and they will play on the break. Win that one well and I might start walking with a swagger.
Yes. We started well, got a goal in front-fortuitously- then settled back into the pitter patter type of play that allowed Reading to get back into the game. Why?
We should have capitalised on our lead and finished the game off long before the penalty-which was perfectly timed on the stroke of halftime.
If it hadn’t been for Rodak’s superb reflexes after yet another woeful blunder from Robinson and the cancellation of two superb efforts from Carroll, it could well have been a different story.
Having said that, we definitely came out for the second period with a different approach and, with Reading’s young and largely inexperienced side starting to fracture, we played some great stuff and kept our foot on the gas throughout. In all honesty, we could have scored 10 and not been flattered.
This was just the sort of boost to morale that was needed -not so much because of the lack of game time-but more because of the big dip in form that had preceded the Christmas period.
I think Bristol City are actually not going to know what has hit them come the weekend. If they think that our earlier draw in the Championship or our narrow win in the cup were indicative of our level, they are in for a rude awakening.
Why suddenly do we go two goals up and we want to settle for that,
if Carroll’s goals had counted it’s then a different game but let’s not get carried away Reed had a good game which is a must for this team some good performances from others but dear oh dear Robinson? My main question is what has Joe Bryan got to do to get in this team? that would be my question to Marco Silva Robinson not good enough sell him to West Ham it’s lucky Ream had a good game Marco please give Joe a game against his home town club
Totally agree re Robinson but to clarify: Gentleman Jim was saying much the same in his commentary last night and it prompted Tony Khan to send a message that Joe Bryan had not made the bench because of illness.
Hopefully, that helps explain his absence.
I am in the Joe Bryan camp but I have to admit that, when given recent opportunities, he has not played as well as we know he can.
However, I would rather just about anybody other than Robinson. Sure, he did well in the build up for Wilson’s second but that was the only occasion he managed an accurate cross all evening.
His distribution is truly awful and is so often the catalyst for an opposition break.
One un-pressured pass back to Tim Ream against Reading went wildly out of touch and resulted in a severe scolding from his US team-mate.
His inexplicable brain freeze in the first half, which resulted in Marek Rodak having to produce a brilliant reflex save, was so reminiscent of an error in a similar position in US v Jamaica game recently (which gifted Decordova Reid an open goal-subsequently missed) and, for me, the guy is a real liability.
Anyway, just wanted to highlight that Joe Bryan was ill last night and I can’t see Silva changing a winning team against Bristol City, unfortunately.
Let’s not get carried away. Until the penalty thd match was very much in the balance especially with Andy Carroll’s two disallowed goals. The second half we dominated but Reading were awful. The result should give the team confidence for our next two winnable home games. I concur that Robinson is a weak link . Replace him with Bryan or evven Odoi. without Seri our midfield is lacking. Having said that seven goals is great in anyone’s book.