After an encouraging display by a youthful Fulham outfit against Nice last night, this evening provided a reality check for Marco Silva and the club’s hierarchy. The Whites, fielding a much less experimental side, were cut to pieces by a Benfica side that played the more fluent and incisive football losing their second match of the Algarve Trophy 5-1. It was a chastening evening in the stifling heat, with Fulham committing a host of defensive errors, and looking far too open against last season’s Champions’ League quarter finalists. There is plenty of work to do done before the start of the Premier League campaign – or Liverpool’s visit to Craven Cottage could be very embarrassing.
Silva’s side were behind after only three minutes in front of a far more partisan crowd than the one that watched the Whites comfortably deal with whatever Nice threw at them on Saturday. Kenny Tete, who endured a torrid evening at right back, lost the ball to Enzo and Joao Mario raced along the left flank. His low cross couldn’t be converted by Goncalo Ramos but the ball broke to Rafa who found the bottom corner with a precise finish.
Andreas Pereira and Tom Cairney had sights of goal for Fulham, but the Portuguese side were dominating possession and carving out plenty of chances. They doubled their lead with a simple goal from a set play after twenty minutes. Joao Mario swung over a left-wing corner and Goncalo Ramos outjumped Tete at the near post to glance in a second past Paolo Gazzaniga from six yards out. Eight minutes later and the forward added another after arriving at the far post to finish a flowing move started by Neres that culminated Rafa’s precise cross being rifled home.
Fulham looked at sixes and sevens at the back, with Tete out of position again for the third goal, and it was with some relief that the Whites could regroup at half time only 3-0 down. Benfica made ten changes at the break, but the pattern of proceedings remained largely unchanged. Gazzaniga spread himself well to thwart Henrique Araujo, whilst a rare Fulham raid saw Harry Wilson, comfortably the Cottagers’ biggest threat, and Bobby Decordova-Reid combine to tee up Aleksandar Mitrovic, who dragged a shot past the near post from just outside the box.
Benfica went down the other end and made it four with Ukrainian striker Roman Yaremchuk peeling off Tosin Adarabioyo to head Julian Weigl’s lovely weighted cross into an almost unguarded net. Fulham hit back within four minutes when Mitrovic nodded in an excellent corner from Pereira, but that consolation was merely a temporary respite for Silva’s overwhelmed side. Alexander Bah dispossessed Joe Bryan after the left back was played into trouble by Adarabioyo and Araujo was on hand to roll in the resulting low centre.
It could have been even worse for Fulham. Gazzaniga denied Araujo with a smart save before Diego Moreira somehow contrived to smack a finish against the crossbar when it appeared easier to score after Yaremchuk had laid on an open goal for the left winger. WIlson, incensed earlier not to be given a clear penalty when he was sent flying in the area, was rebuffed by a good save by Odysseas as the Welsh winger went clean through on goal – but it probably accurately reflected a maddening night on the Algarve for the Londoners.
BENFICA: Odysseas; Gilberto (Bah 45), Otamendi (Antonio Silva 45), Morato (Vertonghen 45), Grimaldo (Gil Dias 45); Florentino Luis (Weigl 45), Enzo (Neto 45), Joao Mario (Moreira Jr. 45); Rafa (Araujo 45), Neres (Chiquinho 45), Goncalo Ramos (Yaremchuk 45). Subs (not used): Soares, Kokubo, Andre Gomes.
GOALS: Rafa (3), Goncalo Ramos (21, 29), Yaremchuk (57), Araujo (64).
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga; Tete, Bryan (A. Robinson 65), Adarabioyo, Ream; Palhinha (Kebano 85), Cairney (Stansfield 77); Wilson, Decordova-Reid (Chalobah 87), Pereira; Mitrovic (Francois 77). Subs (not used): Rodak, Wickens, Fossey, McAvoy, Odutayo, Reed, Pajaziti, Harris, Jasper, Tiehi, Muniz.
GOAL: Mitrovic (61).
REFEREE: Nuno Almeida.
I only saw from 30 minutes on due to our crap website.
We were weak on the wings in defence and Bryan had a bad day from What I saw.
Clear penalty for Wilson.
Pereira and Paulinho looked good.
Silva will have seen a lot to think about.
Stansfield looked good when he came on with skill and working hard up front and going back
Team huffed but isn’t a CH at this level.
We need a CH, and two FBs as well and pronto.
“Tete endured a torrid evening at right back” =diplomatic BS meaning that he was total s**t!
Ditto on the opposite flank.
In between the two was good old Tim Ream getting ready to show us, yet again, that, as good a servant as he has been for the club, he is NOT capable of performing in the Premiership.
Yes, I am fully aware that this is still pre-season BUT what happened to all the promises that we were given by T Khan and Silva about learning the lessons of the past and making sure that we conducted our transfer business early in the window?
Instead, we have to listen to S Khan telling us all about FFP restrictions. Yawn, yawn!!!
FFP hasn’t stopped Forest from doing what is needed in the market.
We need defensive reinforcements and we need them yesterday. What’s the point of bringing in players that don’t have an opportunity to be bedded in prior to the season starting? We’ve been there before-and it cost us dearly.
I had high hopes that lessons had been learnt but this window has been a farce to date.
Please don’t tell me that we are planning to start the season with no other striker as back up -or support -for Mitro.
This time we won’t even have Cavaleiro to fill the striker spot anymore. That’s a joke for anybody who doesn’t know better.
I could care less about the fantastic views of London, the swimming pool etc. All I want is a team that can compete. Khans-pull your finger out!
Fulham will never make it Premier as long as the Khans make all football operations decisions. Nico lost to Nottingham and didn’t lock Carvalho in when it was possible. Very football dumb people run this club. Fulham will be down by Boxing Day.
Wake UP Call !
Gazza In Goal Probably Did Not help !
But All Seems Defensive Problems – no surprise. Need to Spend £50 million on building A Defensive Wall ASAP
Two full back , a central defender and goalkeeper need this week otherwise a thrashing by Liverpool and another return to the Championship. Tete had a nightmare. and no back up at Right Back. Ream too slow. I am not being pessimistic just realistic.
I watched last night I thought lessons were learned about our two previous encounters in the Premiership it took them three minutes might be wrong how much longer have the Fans got to suffer Tony Khan and his cronies that man could not manage an Under 10s team,Marco Silva the frustration on his face last was there for all to see the worrying side is we have to name 25 players for our Squad also do the Khans expect to fill the new Stand this Great Family Club is not that anymore it’s just a toy for a certain individual season ticket holders like myself were hoping it might be slightly different how wrong we were where is our new CBS Goalkeeper FullBacks. and Back up Striker for Mitro it’s to late now I shall not be renewing my Season Ticket next Season which will be my 70th year 65 of them following Fulham from 5 years old I may write to Mr Khan personally and ask him for a reason for his transfer actions so far but I don’t think I will get a reply I could always say I worked for Deliveroo
I had started to eat my words written to an earlier article on this excellent platform. Press PAUSE and REGURGITATE.
The obsession with the ‘art of the deal’, even after proof positive of its failure over several seasons of playing with a yoyo, is TK’s disastrous stamp on his toy that we know and love as ‘our club’.
We were 100% fourth best last night. Flicks to no one, hospital passes, indecision from our keeper,….. et cetera.
Players in needed, as outlined by others above. Marco will not have his bedding in time with them, for which we had hoped and had dared to believe was possible this time round. Outcome? Nil points and awful GD by the international break. The rest will be a predictable pattern of relegation after a peppering of manager change. Further knock-on? Beers filled with tears of frustration, rage and sadness across the worldwide FFC fanbase.
Hopefully will turn out to be a ‘blessing in disguise’!
beaten by a team who were quicker, smarter and in the tackle stronger
A goalkeeper who comes out for the ball rather than stays on his line would help
as with last season when the opposition reads our play formation we dont seem to have the ability or possibly the instruction to change …
Americans know nothing about traditions and relationships between supporters and the club’s they support. When our great club was founded American was a country in it’s infancy. They are now trying to buy the history with little respect for fans like myself that stood on the riverside terraces before the first stand was built. I have said before and I will say time and time again that the only legacy the Khans will leave will be the new stand. We need someone like the Ineos owner to come in and buy us. Someone that understands English football and it’s traditions.
It was always going to be difficult attracting the sort of players we would like because of our recent history of failing in the Premiership.
Neko Williams was overpriced by Liverpool. Good prospect but he will find it harder going forward against Premier defenders, and in fact in defence Tete was better than he was in the Championship.
The management should have and will have to bite the bullet and pay the price if we are to get a defence capable of keeping us up.
at this late stage we are already playing catch up and selling clubs will take advantage pricewise.
Lessons are never learnt. TK again has failed to deliver in time, as in previous seasons and again he doing the same. It’s no good having good coach trying to train donkeys to become race horses, that’s what we’ve got, one pace donkeys. Shahid Khan’s comments in his recent interview just playing lip service to his incompetent son. 9 years owning this Club and he has learnt nothing. Get a UK based Director of Football in situ for the sake of the Club, not TK’s vanity.
And now Just watched the highlights ! Yikes what a very bad performance … totally out classed at the back . Worst than expected … The selling clubs and agents now know 100% we are desperate and will be hiking all the prices – as done by Arsenal for Leno and West Ham for Diop and now seems Wolsburg too !
I’m sick of repeating myself that TK has to go he just doesn’t have a clue, how many more times do we have to tell him we need 2 centre backs, 2full backs a goal keeper and another striker, and we need better than the likes of the ones he is intending to buy or we are going straight back to the championship. Come on Marco you have to sort this out and stop talking about it we should have done our business by now, nothing has been learned from our past mistakes we are becoming a joke and Liverpool will thrash us if nothing is done about the mess Tony Khan keeps putting us in.
Need 2 FBs, 2 CHs (1 back up), a keeper and a back up(quick) striker. That was obvious 6 months ago. Baring in mind promotion was done 3 months ago what’s been happening? Please tell me we’re not going to start the season with a Championship back 4 AGAIN. Last time in Prem the first 6 games were embarassing until we bought in a new back 4. The whole advantage of automatic promotion is to plan and get things done early. It’s now too late already to bed a new defence in even if one turns up. Ridiculous. You could almost say pathetic. If you want to concentrate on the wrestling Tony let me know. I’ll run the club. I’m cheap, I’m very inexperienced but not an idiot. I think that makes me better qualified
We need a faster more youthful and unpredictable team and a decent backline for the PL. Ream, Bryan, Gazz, Decordova-Reid aren’t PL. Mito may well be too slow as well and us too predictable (as ever) if we only have him of quality up front and we play the usual suspects playing the old same way. Great midfield boys but why are we always buying more? If we don’t get a decent GK and 3 big decent defenders + a fast, decent striker (or 2) we are going to struggle again. Hope not. Anyway I’ve got my 3 season tickets and I’ll be supporting them win or lose. Come on you Whites!
I do love how everyone is just ignoring the fact the game was, as the article says, a) a friendly & b) against “last season’s Champions’ League quarter finalists”.
Obviously, the recruitment is frustrating (& familiar at this stage) & I agree we are too slow to get players in, etc etc but I think we do all need to have a little bit of perspective with regard to this one specific result / performance and not go too mental.
Dave, you sum it up perfectly. Could not agree more. How cheap are you? I’ll stick a tenner in.
Last time they blamed having to wait for the play-offs before we got promotion put us behind the other two automatically promoted clubs. As you said, promotion was certain 3 months ago. Forest have brought in several players already. That leaves Bournemouth and Fulham looking doomed before it even starts. As soon as Burnley were relegated I banged on about bringing in Tarkowski. Getting on a bit, but a strong CB with loads of Prem experience. The Solomon saga went on ages and it only just looks like a done deal. However, we all know what positions are needed urgently. This dragging on with Leno is ridiculous. Leaving it late means Arsenal can toy with us as we become desperate. First they wanted £9m, then we offered £10m and now it suddenly jumps to £15m. If we had moved quicker from the onset, I’m sure a deal would have been done at a fair price, i.e. £9-10m.
The match last night at Benfica shows just how weak we are defensively. Liverpool will bang in 10 if something is not done promptly. I love our club, but I can see the 3 clubs promoted all getting relegated at end of season, as all other Prem clubs have strengthened their squads accordingly.
As you said, promotion was certain 3 months ago. Forest have brought in several players already. That leaves Bournemouth and Fulham looking doomed before it even starts. As soon as Burnley were relegated I banged on about bringing in Tarkowski. Getting on a bit, but a strong CB with loads of Prem experience. The Solomon saga went on ages and it only just looks like a done deal. However, we all know what positions are needed urgently. This dragging on with Leno is ridiculous. Leaving it late means Arsenal can toy with us as we become desperate. First they wanted £9m, then we offered £10m and now it suddenly jumps to £15m. If we had moved quicker from the onset, I’m sure a deal would have been done at a fair price, i.e. £9-10m.
The match last night at Benfica shows just how weak we are defensively. Liverpool will bang in 10 if something is not done promptly. I love our club, but I can see the 3 clubs promoted all getting relegated at end of season, as all other Prem clubs have strengthened their squads accordingly.