Fulham manager Marco Silva acknowledged that Portman Road is a challenging venue after his team’s 1-1 draw with the Blues.
The Cottagers fell behind due to Liam Delap’s debut Premier League goal, but Adama Traore equalized before halftime, with the Blues dominating the second half.
“It was a tough game against an aggressive side. They have great support which demanded us to win duels and beat the pressure,” he said.
“A tough Premier League game, as always, against a side that you know are going to be really tough to play against.
“We know it can be tough to play here because last season we played against them in a different competition [the Carabao Cup] with great support from the home crowd.
“You can say it was a balanced game, both sides trying to get control of the game.
“We should have done much better to be tight to Liam Delap driving the ball from the halfway line for their goal, but the reaction was good from us, and we scored a very good goal in an open play moment.
“From then, I think we did control the game with a clear chance from Rodrigo [Muniz] to score.
“Moments that we have to be clinical, we have to build to be ruthless and to punish them in those types of situations.
“We were solid in the second half, but not in the way that we like to play, not with that quality in our build-up and it was more difficult for us to create chances.
“There were all the defensive set pieces, a lot of situations there, and I think we were really solid, we were brave enough in those moments.
“It’s a game, of course, that we wanted to win, we wanted the three points. We got one point, and we move on to prepare for the next one.”
Silva expressed satisfaction with how his team responded to going behind: “The reaction from us was good, we scored a good equaliser and after that we took a step forward and were completely in control.
“The second half was a lot more difficult for us, we were not able to control the game the way we liked. We were solid, we did not give many things but we did not create.
“We should create a lot more when we are on the ball, we have to be more effective in our build-up and have more chances to score.”
Silva often appears dissatisfied, and he looked particularly unhappy during yesterday’s match. The claim that they were ‘completely in control’ isn’t entirely accurate.
This assessment seems fair. My opinion isn’t influenced by his past praise of us; he’s a respected manager whose insights are valuable.
He’s experienced tough decisions against Fulham, especially against stronger teams, so he understands the Premier League thoroughly. His comments suggest that opponents will find Portman Road a challenging place to play.
Managers typically highlight positive aspects of their team. Yesterday’s game seemed evenly matched, with both teams having their moments. A draw was a fair outcome.
The positive takeaway is that we are likely to improve as we adapt to playing together and the Premier League’s pace. Fulham is a solid team expected to finish mid-table, so competing well against them is encouraging.
We Were Zombies They were in control for a few minutes in the first half, including when they scored.
Steve_ITFC_Sweden We were the better team, although they looked dangerous throughout. Their away performance was typical, but we matched them well. The home crowd likely made a difference, boosting both the players and the fans.
Our home support continues to improve and grow louder. We are learning how effective vocal support and rhythmic clapping can be for the team. If we maintain this throughout the season, we can truly be the “twelfth man.”
Home support is crucial, and our fans will remain supportive throughout the season. From watching on TV, it appeared to be a very even game.
