Marco Silva didn’t mince his words after Fulham were beaten 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur yesterday.
Speaking to BT Sport after the final whistle, the Whites’ head coach said:
“Tottenham deserved three points, our first half was not good enough, we didn’t get to our standards. On the ball we were not at our level, even without high pressure from Tottenham we took many wrong decisions on the ball first half.
We gave the ball away easy many times and for me that was the main thing of the first half because doing better on the ball we would control the game better and take more decisions and put them under pressure as well and we didn’t do that. After the injury of Robinson that created a different scenario for us and we had to adapt. We had much more courage in the second half and tried to match them, we had some problems in our pressure definitely but we were more aggressive.
Not just because we lost the ball in an important decision it was our reaction after. The way we like to play is to take risks but our reaction has to be different. We missed Robinson on and off the ball. The way they scored the second goal they created problems for us. I wanted a reaction, I expected to see that after half-time. I didn’t see that after 10-15 minutes in the second half so I decided to change something.
We didn’t get our standards, we have to improve on the ball, there is a lot of room for us to improve. We will do it, we need more time to work with the players. It wasn’t our best afternoon, but we tried to get the equaliser until the last minute.”
It’s just a sad fact that the worst offender happens to be Decordova Reid. Check the stats. Go back and re-watch the games -not just the Spurs match. I am not starting a personal vendetta against the guy-he just lacks the quality needed.
Kebano and Pereira are equally liable for their dreadful shoddiness, at least in the Spurs game -the difference being that they are both capable of better because they are more skilful. Decordova Reid’s sole claim to fame is that he works hard.
Hard work should be a given from every player.
Away from home, we offer zero attacking threat without speed on the break and quality of crucial passes.
For that reason alone we need a change of personnel out wide.
Marco Silva’s reaction to each stray pass was obvious to see during the game and he has been publicly vocal about it afterwards so I think he will make a change(s) against Chelsea.
Couldn’t agree more. Kebano has the ability to go round a player and has more pace so is OK. Maybe not a top player but you feel things are possible. When BDR gets the ball out wide he has no option but to pass it back. When he was put through against Spurs he had a few metres on Sessignon to get his shot away but was caught so easily. A premier league winger when put clean through needs to get his shot off. We’re not going to get many chances like that against teams like Spurs. His ballooned effort against Brighton when under no pressure and 10 yards out was poor. We have better options now, certainly away from home when we need more pace as relying more on transitiion play. At home if we’re dominating the ball theres more of an argument but im not convinced. Time to go back to his back up squad role.
Our whole back 4, the 2 central midfielders, mitro and keeper have been unbelievable this season. The 2 wide men and Perirra haven’t reached the same standards. Kebano has exceeded expectations. I’d replace BDR and get Cairney on earlier for Chelsea. Not sure Cairney would go full 90mins at prem pace. Maybe give him the 2nd half.