Fulham ‘deserved much more’, Silva insists

By

Marco Silva insisted Fulham “deserved much more” after their second cup exit in a week, losing 2-0 against Newcastle at Craven Cottage.

Goals by Sean Longstaff and Dan Burn eased the Magpies’ passage to the FA Cup fifth round, on an evening when the Whites lacked conviction and never looked likely to recover.

Amid a busy schedule, manager Silva opted to keep key players Willian, Tom Cairney, Raul Jimenez and Joao Palhinha on the substitutes’ bench for most of the game which, alongside defensive mistakes, ultimately contributed to Fulham’s defeat.


“The stats show we were the most dominant on the pitch but we were not clinical enough in dangerous areas,” said Silva. “We deserved much more from the game.”

“The reality is we lost and it is our fault due to making mistakes at this level – with the quality they (Newcastle) have they can punish you. We did not take the right decisions at times.”

After losing in the Carabao Cup semi-final to Liverpool, Fulham’s home programme continues with an important Premier League game against Everton on Tuesday.

Silva added: “We were always in the game against Liverpool, but I have to praise how the players went in the competition (Carabao Cup).

“Both results are disappointing but we have to recover. There are not many solutions with a small squad.”

Silva also confirmed that winger Harry Wilson went off with a shoulder injury and is being assessed.