Marco Silva believes that Newcastle’s Champions’ League group stage exit will make Fulham’s task ‘harder’ as the Whites prepare for Saturday’s trip to St. James’ Park.
Eddie Howe’s side will not play any European football in the new year after a 2-1 defeat at home to AC Milan last night but, speaking during this afternoon’s pre-match press conference, the Fulham head coach rejected any suggestion that the result would make things easier for his side on Tyneside.
“They lost an important game, but they have been showing in the Champions League how they are really tough to play against. This season at home they have been tough as well. They are a very good side, a top side. Last season they did brilliant, achieving a Champions League spot. They will want to react from last evening, from that disappointing result that takes them from the European competitions.
But we really have to embrace the challenge, we are confident enough to go to play. Last season in the game we conceded a late goal, but we did really well. We had a penalty that almost had us leading … We were really competitive, we matched them, and we want to do the same. It’s going to be a tough one, but is it going to be easier because of their last result? I don’t see it in this way. It’s always tough to play against very good sides like Newcastle, at their place even more, but we really want to go there and to embrace the challenge.
It will probably be more hard, rather than easier, in my opinion because when you have this type of disappointing moment and you are a great team and you have the quality, you want to show a reaction. They are going to try to do it from the first minute, I’m 100 per cent sure. The fans want the same, there is going to be the connection that you can feel in that ground between players and fans. It’s not easy to create, and they did it – we have to congratulate them for that.
It’s going to be tougher, not easier, after the disappointing evening they had last night, but we have to go in the direction that we are planning and preparing our players, and to match them and to challenge the game. It is always very good to play in that environment against a very good side, well managed as well, because it’s one of the best places to play football in this country.
