A deeply disappointed Marco Silva condemned Fulham’s lack of ’emotional control’ after the Whites were beaten by Bruno Fernandes’ stoppage-time winner as Manchester United pinched the points at Craven Cottage this afternoon.
The Portuguese head coach was critical of his side’s failure to take their chances and slammed his defence’s repeated inability to clear the danger before Fernandes’ deflected strike squeezed past Bernd Leno to consign the Cottagers to another painful defeat against United.
Silva told his press-match press conference:
“[It was] a real difficult one for us to take definitely. Defeats are always difficult. Same old story. I said yesterday we wanted to write a different story [against Manchester United], we wanted to be the better team again. Overall, I think we did it but at this level we cannot be punished by this way. Many people are going to talk about being lucky or unlucky, but the way we concede the goal is clearly a matter of emotional control at the end of the game. We made three of four mistakes. It’s difficult to understand why.
“Some individual decisions we made we have to make in a better way. Our second half showed that we are in better control. Three or four players making mistakes, and we are punished by that. The chances we did create were enough for us to score. We should have scored. It is what it is.”
He also confirmed that Fulham were awaiting scans to determine the severity of the knee injury sustained by Rodrigo Muniz, who left the field in tears having taken a second significant blow in swift succession.
“We don’t know yet. It’s too soon to give you a statement about it. I hope nothing serious. He had a very good game, in my opinion. Unfortunately, in one moment he felt the knee and let’s hope it’s nothing serious.”
I still think a new set-piece coach ought to be hired. Man U’s early first goal – which ought to have stood – was a perfect set-piece execution. We could be a lot smarter on set-pieces.
And a totally right-footed winger on the left and a totally left-footed winger on the right means that neither can receive crosses from each other and thus easily defended by any of the top half of the table.
If Willian is on then Bobby ought to be on the right. And, similarly if Harry is on then either Andreas P. or Alex I. should be wide left. IMO.
Game seemed to go in Man U favor once Muniz came off. He clearly has the potential and it such a shame that now he is finding his place he gets this injury . TC should have come on earlier . Otherwise good game . Man U no way deserved to win and only did so through panic defending at end . The news reports just dominated by the Man U win .
Should have signed a decent striker in the summer window regardless of Mitrovic staying or going.End of.