Marco Silva’s first Premier League on Boxing Day continued the Fulham head coach’s miserable Christmas as the Whites were easily beaten by Bournemouth hot on the heels of a dismal home defeat at the hands of Burnley. The dire nature of this reverse at Dean Court was encapsulated by the normally ice-cool Bernd Leno shoving a ball boy as he sought to retrieve a ball behind the goal with his side 2-0 down; the German goalkeeper could yet face further disciplinary action from the Football Association.
The home fans sung the praises of their head coach Andoni Iraola during a sixth win in seven games even if the former Rayo Vallecano manager was not on the touchline for what became a routine victory having amassed a third yellow card of the season at the City Ground on Saturday. Iraolo broke into a broad smile in the directors’ box after substitute Luis Sinisterra curled in a third goal from outside the area in stoppage time, but his side had already climbed into the top half of the Premier League table by establishing an unassailable lead through Justin Kluivert’s predatory finish at the end of the first half and a penalty from the unstoppable Dominic Solanke.
Bournemouth look a transformed time from the one that didn’t win in their first eight league outings and have now lost just once in the top flight since October. They were assertive in the tackle and looked more purposeful with the ball in the final third, but were comfortable allowing their hosts to have the lion’s share of the possession. Fulham lacked a cutting edge in attack, sorely missing the suspended Raul Jimenez and the injured Willian, and managed only a single shot on target when the largely anonymous Rodrigo Muniz aimed a volley right at goalkeeper Neto.
The Cherries had the better chances in the first period with Solanke seeing an early effort deflected behind by Tosin Adarabioyo who then blocked a strike from Justin Kluivert after excellent approach play from the dangerous Antoine Semenyo before heading off the line when Leno had dashed out of his goal a minute later. Bournemouth exploited Fulham’s soft centre a minute before half-time when Alex Scott sauntered from the halfway line to the penalty area. The former Bristol City midfielder should have been shackled by Andreas Pereira and Joao Palhinha but progressed to set up Kluivert, whose low shot trickled through Leno’s legs. The goalkeeper’s pained reaction showed he knew he should have saved it.
Silva opted not to make alterations at half-time but Fulham, for the second game running, were well short of the intensity and invention of their opponents. Palhinha was punished for a clumsy challenge on Semenyo when the Bournemouth forward burst into the box and Solanke coolly sent Leno the wrong way with the ensuing penalty – scoring his twelve goal of a commendable campaign. Silva’s subsequent substitutes made little impression on proceedings and it was little surprise when Sinisterra stepped inside Timothy Castagne and found the top corner with a lovely finish to keep buoyant Bournemouth bouncing along nicely.
The optimism that accompanied Fulham’s back-to-back 5-0 thrashings of Nottingham Forest and West Ham United seems a lot longer than three weeks ago. There will be some big questions for Silva to confront before the visit of Arsenal to Craven Cottage on Sunday.
AFC BOURNEMOUTH (4-2-3-1): Neto; Smith, Ouattara, Zabarnyi, Senesi; Scott, Christie; Semenyo (Sinisterra 72), Tavernier (Brooks 88), Kluivert (Billing 72); Solanke. Subs (not used): Travers, Mepham, Aarons, Rothwell, Greenwood, Moore.
GOALS: Kluivert (44), Solanke (pen 62), Sinisterra (90+3).
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete (Castagne 72), A. Robinson (Ballo-Toure 82), Adarabioyo, Bassey; Palhinha, Cairney (Lukic 82); De Cordova-Reid (Wilson 72), Iwobi, Pereira (Vinicius 82); Muniz. Subs (not used): Rodak, Diop, Reed, Harris.
BOOKED: Leno, Pereira.
REFEREE: Tim Robinson (Sussex).
ATTENDANCE: 11,009.
We look like the lions at the zoo after being fed. Lazy, lethargic and wuthout any sense of hunger. Games cannot be won like that. I bet we will play with passion again against Arsenal but it will be very hard to get any points against a top side brimming with talent which put simply we don’t have. We better start looking behind oir shoulders, Luton seem to have found a new confindence in their chances and relegation scraps always have an unnerving outcome about them. We must stop this rot, the sooner the better.
Well we stunk The place out again. This was an unacceptable performance especially after the Burnley defeat. Leno suddenly seems vulnerable, Tete played poorly, Periera doesn’t deserve to be in the side, with Muniz totally out of his depth at this level. No invention, no goal threat, little fight. A totally depressing game. Merry Christmas everybody.
Nothing to add, poor, slow and a lack of obvious passion to win this game.
I agree we were clueless and no fight Silva needs to sort this out before it’s too late, we are now looking over our shoulders, this possession football is not working as we have no end product, we are too slow and don’t take shots at goal we try to pass the ball to often and it usually ends giving the ball to the opposition. We don’t have the skills needed play this way so Silva needs to rethink his gameplan or bring in players who do.