• 2 hours ago
Fulham boss Marco Silva reacts to draw against Tottenham with a 10 man team

01/12/2024

Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium, London, UK
Transcript
00:00Hi Marco, I thought we clearly had better chances in the game, especially the first half. Left behind, deserved equaliser, debatable penalty, a red card decision. How did you see the game?
00:16Afternoon all. I agree with many of the things that you said, great performance from ourselves to come here after a tough result for us that was really tough for us to take because it didn't reflect at all the game we played last Saturday against Wolves.
00:37Really strange one, the way we lost the game when we deserved much more from the game and with every result. I got the feeling throughout the week and of course I told the players during the week and before the match in our pre-match meeting even before the game started that we got all the conditions to come here to match them like we have been playing against every team in this competition and to fight for the three points.
01:05We showed that, I agree with you, I think we deserved much more from the game. We deserved to win the game, the chances we created against a very good side. Tottenham had very good chances too but overall looking to the game I think we had more control of the game and performance wise we did really well.
01:23Great first half from us, very good chances, control of the game apart from the first minutes where the first pressure of Tottenham created a bit of problems for us. When we found the right moments to beat that pressure I think we did it well almost always.
01:39We know how they are strong, how they can press really high. Most of their goals come moments where they press high and the turnovers from themselves. We did control well the situation and it's not easy to be on the front foot always against a team like Tottenham when they have shown this afternoon not Solanke but Werner and with Johnson or Kosevc in that front line plus always Maddison to provide the right passes for them.
02:03We did it very well in the first half even though we could have started the second half because the first chances in the game and the second half were from ourselves. We had a great chance from Issa, another great chance from Alex, Jovi before we conceded the goal. They are the moments when you are a bit more ruthless and the moments when you are controlling the game you cannot give the chance like we gave.
02:25We were not unbalanced at all when we conceded the first goal. We had to come on top a bit more responsibly from ourselves to not concede the goal we did. Great reaction from us, first with the two players that came in, Tom Carney and Derry Wilson made a massive impact in the game. Great goal from us and when the game was open for both sides with more changes for us of course Adam and another player were ready to go in the last 10-15 minutes of the game.
02:51We came to the right guard and changed completely the mindset from ourselves. We changed the formation, we closed with five at the back plus three midfielders. We know that they are strong on the sides, we want to block on the sides for them and the reality that we didn't give any chance for them even with the 10 men in the last 15 minutes of the game.
03:09My vision about Red Card? We all know Tom Carney and he is not a malicious player at all. Even sometimes, honestly speaking with you I am the first one to push him to be more aggressive in the right way of course. But looking for the images you have to accept it. He wasn't lucky, good reception for Kulosevsky, he tried to go on the ball and he stamped his leg. If you want to look just at the picture and the images you have to accept the Red Card.
03:40Marco, there was no Andres Pereira in the squad today. He has given an interview in the last week or so and unfortunately he is speaking about how it is unfortunate and his words that he moved to Marseille broke down in the summer and he is looking ahead to the January window. He has come out today and put on Instagram that he thinks that his words have been maliciously distorted and being translated. Is that why he bothered you?
04:04No, not at all. I didn't read the interview. I know some of the topics in the interview. I didn't read the interview because for me to read something from my players I have to be sure that they did it. This is the first thing. I didn't read the whole interview.
04:24As you expect, I know what you are talking about. The thing that I want to tell you is that Andres is going to be back stronger and is going to be with us to help the team like he has been helping every single moment. Being in good shape and being strong enough mentally and physically is going to be the important thing since he joined our football club and nothing related to the interview.
04:48Is he injured or do you need to protect him?
05:18Hi Marco, you were here Thursday. Did you sense it was maybe a good time to play Tottenham? There were a few injuries and also the players at the end went over to the fans. I can just imagine how painful it would have been if you had left here without anything to say.
05:48It would have been really painful for us, definitely. Resuming our season so far, I'm not saying always because in some moments we don't perform like we want, but most of the times when we didn't take the three points we deserved much more from the games.
06:12But more important than results in some moments are the way we have been growing and showing our quality as well and the way we perform. I understand your question about some absences from Tottenham, but you have to look overall for both teams, for both squads.
06:26They didn't have some players, but I think we didn't play with Joaquin Anders who is injured, Harrison Reid got a surgery, Andres Pereira was not here and I can mention some more. After that we have to compare all the other things that you can compare as well. If you want to talk about absences for Tottenham, look first for other clubs that don't have the same conditions as them.
06:47Last few questions, we'll start with Tom.
06:57No, it was during the week, it was a technical decision for myself.
07:01Question here at the front.
07:02Mark, I know you just spoke about Tom's red card, but I guess generally that's a big goal for him as a guy like you that he's going to now miss something.
07:32I love him as a football player, I have to say, of course. Probably if I got him a little bit younger he's going to be fantastic for me because what a player he is.
07:41Sometimes to play as a second midfielder is not so easy for him right now, but he cannot play no more further on the pitch as well. We have to have the right moments for him to be on the pitch and he's going to be a big absence for us.
07:52Now that we have Harrison Reid out as well, we have him, next game Sascha Lukic is not going to play because he got the fifth yellow card as well.
08:00It's what I said before, if you want to look for us we have a lot of absences as well. Let's hope we can have Andres ready again next week to go.
08:09I know he can play as well with all the others around him because we need everybody in this moment of the season.
08:16One last question over there.
08:18Do Fulham get enough credit for the football you play? Because in the first half where Forster tipped, Iwogi's shot onto the bar, that was a tremendous one-touch counter attack which would have cut open a virtually hitting team in the league. Do you get enough credit for the football you've been playing this season?
08:37You're right about that, it's not me. I don't need to come here to make myself better or my team better. The team is really up to you, you are the guys that analyse the games, you write about the games and speak about the games.
08:57I know what we have been doing in this football club, the big transformation in this football club. We are creating and building one identity in this club, step by step, losing every single season players and key players for us.
09:10Not being able to keep the best players in our football club because in some moments it's really tough for us. You are able to rebuild again, this season is again a good example.
09:18We are here to fight, but more than that we are proud of the way we play. I know that the fans are and this is the main thing for me, to make these players grow individually and collectively.

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