Marco Silva has demanded that his Fulham side must bounce back against in-form Newcastle United at Craven Cottage on Saturday after the Whites suffered two ‘frustrating’ setbacks in four days.
The Fulham head coach was desperately disappointed to see his side draw with West Ham United last weekend after dominating their first London derby of the season, conceding a stoppage-time equaliser to substitute Danny Ings and that misery was further compounded by their exit from the League Cup at Championship strugglers Preston North End on Tuesday after the longest penalty shoot-out in English football history.
Silva told his press conference at Motspur Park this afternoon:
“Going out in the way we did was frustrating for us. We cannot hide that situation, it was a difficult night for us. We should have kept ourselves in the competition. Now the one way to keep moving forwards is to react as a team. Our performances have been good, even against West Ham. We were in command of the game until the last minute. But there is still room for improvement. Newcastle is a stern challenge and we want to react from Tuesday evening. We need a reaction as a team and we will react for sure.”
The Whites have won just one of their first four matches and Silva knows the extent of the challenge they will face from Eddie Howe’s men, who will go top of the table should they win.
“[They are a] very good, strong side. From a technical, physical, collective point of view, they are a really good side. They are solid, they are physical, they feel comfortable defending their box. You can feel that they have some leaders there in that back four, and they are a solid side. They are strong in both ends, and we have to take our chances. When you have the chances, you have to take them and you have to be ruthless.
They know that it is going to be tough as well for them. Our recent record against them wasn’t the best in terms of results. After analysing the last games against them, performance wise I think, [in] most of them we were at our level. But results, they speak louder, always, and because of that I said the recent record wasn’t the best, but we are going to work really hard to change it. We want to repeat some type of performance, but with a different result, and we have to write a different story.”
The Portuguese head coach was full of praise for his Howe.
“A very good manager, a very good manager – it’s already a long time playing against each other. I remember from, I think, one of my first games in England, was against him at Hull, and then Watford, when he was at Bournemouth, after with Everton at Bournemouth, too. It’s been a long time already – some good battles. Very good manager and, as you all know, he had a massive, massive impact when he first came to Newcastle. It was a difficult moment for the club, and he completely turned it around for them, and they have been growing and growing and growing.
You can feel the connection with him, players and fans as well, in a club with a massive fanbase. A very good job is being done in that football club, and it’s going to be a tough game for us – and he knows, it is clear, that it is going to be really tough for them too.”
