Silva expects strong Fulham response to defeat

Fulham boss Marco Silva has backed his side to respond strongly to Saturday’s loss to Huddersfield when struggling Peterborough visit Craven Cottage.

The Whites’ 2-1 reverse was their first league defeat of the year but victory over Posh, who sacked manager Darren Ferguson on Sunday after losing at fellow strugglers Derby, would see them move nine points clear of second-placed Bournemouth.

Silva insists the performance against fifth-placed Huddersfield was not a concern and said the defeat was a good wake-up call to his side as they target an instant return to the Premier League.

“It was a really bad feeling after the last match,” Silva said.

“But at the same time it can be good as a club when you don’t win a football match because although it is really bad, you want to feel how we are creating a winning mentality inside this football club.

“Each bad result creates a big impact for ourselves and this means when something goes wrong in a game, whether it be the performance or the result, the feeling in the dressing room is how it should be.

“They don’t need feedback from myself because they are feeling bad, but that is a good sign.

“You can feel disappointment, frustration, but at the same time we know it is just one game and we must react in a different way in the next game.

“For the Huddersfield game, I can say we didn’t have a bad day, but we did have a bad result.

“We have reacted well whenever we have lost this season and now we have this match to show a reaction again.”

Ferguson’s axing led to ex-Fulham man Simon Davies, who spent seven seasons at Craven Cottage and scored in the semi-final and final of the Whites’ memorable Europa League campaign in 2010, being placed in joint-caretaker charge.

Davies and former Tottenham and West Ham winger Matt Etherington will make their debut in the visitors’ dugout on Wednesday.

“We know it was tough to win the first game away. Even if they change something or not, as always, we look to ourselves and prepare all the scenarios,” Silva said.

“Each club plays for themselves, but the team that is in the first position is always a challenge to them, they can give that extra to take points from the game.

“We have to prepare for that – and we are.”

Rodrigo Muniz is back in training but will make his return to the squad for Saturday’s trip to Cardiff.