Silva reacts to Fulham's comeback and how they need to improve

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Fulham boss Marco Silva reacts to Fulham's comeback and how they need to improve  02/12/2025  Craven Cottage, London, UK

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00:00Good evening. If you go in that direction about the character and the personality of the team,

00:14of course, what they showed was impressive. Normally, if you are losing with a heavy score,

00:24home or away, it doesn't matter. Against a side like City, of course, many things can go in their

00:30mind. After the fifth goal of City, of course, probably you want to react, but you can be

00:38thinking, okay, the damage is there. Probably it's better to don't take any risk and don't go

00:46and face the game. But the reaction was unbelievable from the boys, from our team,

00:52from the fans too. And probably looking for that reaction, we deserve probably that fifth goal to

00:58equalize the game, because we did create for that as well. Unfortunately, we didn't.

01:06Many positives from the game, definitely. The main one, apart from the reaction that was,

01:11I repeat again, unbelievable from them, that connection with the fans in the end means really

01:16something. We didn't take points from this game, but that reaction, the connection in the end,

01:23the respect that they showed for a team that lost and considered five goals at home,

01:27was impressive from the fans as well and is going to give us many things in the future.

01:31Overall, looking to the game, of course, if you start the game so bad like we did against a side like

01:36City, you are going to be in trouble and we were definitely. We knew before the match that we are going

01:43to find a way to create problems for them on the ball. And we did create, even in the toughest moments

01:48that we had, after the 1-0, big shots with Emile inside the box to equalize the game.

01:56Looks and I had the feeling that every time we did what we planned and we found a way to the ball

02:02arrive on Emile Smith-Rou on the spaces or on Sasha as well. Some moments we, after that moment, we

02:08took good decisions. At the moment, it's not so good, but I had the feeling. But of course, against

02:14any side in Premier League, more against sides with this quality, off the ball, we have to be much

02:17stronger. They started on the front foot and we were not aggressive enough off the ball. And of course,

02:23I think we created, I'm not saying easy, but a little bit not so difficult scenario for them to

02:29score the first, even the chance from Allen off the post. The second goal is a good example on it,

02:35the way we squeezed with a central defender, the way our back line didn't cover a round. I think

02:40it's clear in our principles. We have to do it much better and quicker. We didn't. And of course,

02:46they punished ourselves. And the goal of Emile gave us a little bit of hope, almost in the end of the

02:52first half. And imagine a team that wants to react, double change at half-time. Imagine if you go and

02:59you consider two early goals again, but the reaction was unbelievable good from them. And we have to

03:04praise that. We are going to take positives. We are going to analyse for sure with the players. The

03:09feeling is not the best because we lost the game. But we have to look for the positives too and to

03:14give the players the... and praise them for the reaction the way they did. They did it with the

03:19team. They kept together themselves and of course, they pushed City back and probably deserve more.

03:24And they deserve the fifth goal to equalise the game.

03:27James?

03:28I think Chuck Wazic-Gimon had a really big impact. How excited are you by his potential and the difference

03:34he can make with his team back then?

03:36He's already making. Last Saturday, he did it, of course, under the plan and physical point of view.

03:42He decided to manage him because he played the first almost 90 minutes last game against Tottenham.

03:48Of course, under the plan, we wanted to play with Cesc higher on the pitch and to overlook a bit with Alex

03:54there, that area in the middle. Alex to play with Sander, almost to play without a winger there.

04:00The impact was massive from him again. But I have to talk about other players. The performance from

04:06Emil was a very good one and it's clear showing that he's getting better and better. And okay,

04:12the double change at half-time. We needed more energy from Timothy Kashtain right on side as well.

04:19And I have to praise Josh and John the way they can. But of course, I'll answer directly to you.

04:24Schuko is just showing his quality. He has quality on the right, on the left. He has the ability to

04:30take the right decisions as well. He's getting better and better. Unfortunately, we are going to lose him

04:35again in 15 days' time, like we lost the last three months three times. But he's what it is. And

04:40until then, we have to take the best from him. And let's hope we can do it from Sunday again.

04:48Okay, I think we've just got a couple here.

04:50I was going to ask, the feeling at the end was that if a match had gone on for five minutes,

04:56you could almost have won it. Did you have that feeling as well? Pepper said you almost couldn't

05:01look at it. He was looking at the clock at the end.

05:05I think we are pushing very, very, very hard for that. We are pushing them back. It's a football match,

05:12you know, and you feel that the team is going for the way you are going and pushing them and creating

05:16from the right, from the left and putting a lot of bodies there and all that stuff, of course,

05:21can happen the opposite. Even if they have an amazing quality, it can happen the opposite as well.

05:26Because if they want to have any control of the game, probably in that moment, every time we took

05:31the ball for ourselves, it's not going to be possible because we are going to attack in many

05:36different ways. And the game was even, of course, Pep tried with the different profile of players,

05:41three central defenders. They finished with three central defenders, with John Stones as a six as

05:46well. You felt the players, and it's part of the rules, they tried to delay every time the ball went out or

05:52the ball, and for a goal kick or throw in or any fall, they took the time that the referee gave them

05:57to take. Probably if it was ourselves, we are going to get some yellow cards, but it's part of the game

06:04as well. But they are in the rules and they can do. Like, probably if you are winning, you are going to

06:08delay as well. It's not just about them. Probably any team is going to do to try to calm down the game a

06:14little bit. But yes, we push them and they try to delay, to control ourselves as more as you can. Of course,

06:22I think we had enough time because we scored the fourth goal, I think, 78-79. We had around

06:31almost 20 minutes to do it. The reality is that we did create one big chance with Joss,

06:36more two or three very dangerous moments there, but we didn't score and we lost again.

06:41Martin, did you have a question? No? Martin, I thought you had a question.

06:46No, I'm fine.

06:48Thanks, everybody. One last question. You didn't have your hand up. Thank you.

06:51One final question.

06:52Sander Bagu was unlucky with Domhnall, but what do you think of his overall performance?

06:58No, he's getting better. The reality is that he's probably in better shape right now than

07:04in the beginning of the season. A very good game last game from him. Even the game against Sander

07:08at home probably was his best performance so far. The way he's improving, the way he's getting better

07:14and better and better. And the performance, of course, first half was difficult for everybody.

07:18The reaction from the team, the way we push forward, of course, we need a player like him

07:22there to balance well our team and he had a good performance.

07:24Sander Bagu. Thanks, everyone. Thank you.

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