Fulham

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport journalist

Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Sunday's FA Cup game against Manchester United (kick-off 16:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Silva confirmed Harry Wilson, Reiss Nelson and Kenny Tete all remain absent through injury for Sunday's game.

• Better news on the injury front comes in the form of midfielder Emile Smith Rowe. The Fulham boss said the 24-year-old has returned to training and could come into contention for the match.

• He claimed the FA Cup is a "big ambition" for the club and the passion to do well in the competition runs through the entire squad.

• In response to Alex Iwobi admitting that he plays five-a-side with his friends during the season in a podcast this week, Silva said: "I would prefer him to enjoy his friends in a different way" and added that "the most important thing for him is his job at Fulham Football Club".

• He said his side "don't feel intimidation in any stadium in this country" when asked if Manchester United don't hold the fear-factor they once did.

• Silva stated that "it's too early" to think about winning the FA Cup and wants his side to keep their focus on taking one game at a time. He did, however, add that the team are feeling "really positive" about Sunday's fixture.

Follow all of Friday's FA Cup news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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We asked for your views on the one thing going on at Fulham that is being overlooked.

Here are some of your comments:

Steve: We are missing Kenny Tete as we have less of an attacking threat down the right side without him. It's a pity we were unable to sign another right-back in the January window.

Chris: The fact we didn't get a decent right back in the January transfer shocks me. Fair play that Timothy Castagne stepped up when Tete was injured but I feel he is looking tired and doesn't have the speed to run up the wing.

Barry: If the owners are serious about progress at Fulham they should give Marco Silva a new contract. He is working wonders with the squad at his disposal. Not sure we can compete in Europe with such a small squad, as good as they are.

Ben: Adama Traore continues to puzzle me (as he has done for many teams). He looks like the best player on the pitch some weeks and then he's totally impotent the next.

Martyn: The problem is simple: no home support, no noise. Since early December we have only won twice at Craven Cottage. We have had too many home draws with teams we should have beaten. The team needs to hear its fans but in my opinion the fans have been priced out.

Bill: Home advantage means nothing if the atmosphere is flat and Craven Cottage is like a library - the first thing is to ban clappers. Away from home, our fans are loud and proud and this reflects on the performance.

Victory at Wolves on Tuesday leaves Fulham firmly in the hunt for European football.

But will inconsistent home form costs the Whites a long-awaited return to continental competition?

And is Rodrigo Muniz ready to step up as lead striker?

These are issues we've spotted, but what have you noticed? Tell us the one thing no-one is talking about at Fulham but really should be.

Let us know here

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We asked for your views on Wolves' match against Fulham in the Premier League.

Here are some of your comments:

Wolves fans

Alex: Poor tactics for the second half. If you put a 6ft4in centre-forward on, you need to spread play to the wings and get crosses into the box. Strand Larsen was starved of service once again. Santiago Bueno is simply not good enough. The sooner Agbadou returns, the better. Need to pick ourselves up and beat Bournemouth in the cup. All is not lost....not yet anyway.

John: Sunday league defending, clueless going forward. Wolves were probably safe if they had won. Not on this performance!

Simon: Nice passing spells aside, Wolves did not pose a threat in front of goal. In the second half, some players went hiding and the lethargy of sideways passing set in. The early goals for Fulham killed any atmosphere in the ground, no chants or songs other than when Toti Gomes was receiving treatment in front of the South Bank. A game to forget quickly.

Fulham fans

John: Five changes to the starting XI looked like either a reaction to Saturday's poor performance or an attempt to keep players fresh for the FA Cup tie at Manchester United. It turned out to be a stroke of Marco Silva genius in a thoroughly deserved win. Quality across the park but a special mention for Ryan Sessegnon - 'one of our own' who proved he belongs at this level.

Lee: For all their possession, Wolves huffed and puffed. Fulham had all the best chances and deserved the win. Push for Europe still on!

Bob: Didn't do too much but we didn't have to. Smash-and-grab three points. Job done.

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Fulham have won three consecutive away games for just the second time in the Premier League, after also doing so in 2008 under Roy Hodgson. The Cottagers have won six matches away from home this season – only winning more in one of their previous 29 top-flight campaigns (seven in 2022-23).

Emily Salley
BBC Sport journalist

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When Marco Silva named five changes to his starting line-up, it was difficult to know what to expect from Fulham at Molineux.

Raul Jimenez and Alex Iwobi - the club's top two scorers this season - were made to watch from the bench, along with key defenders Antonee Robinson and Calvin Bassey.

Ryan Sessegnon, meanwhile, was handed his first Premier League start since he re-joined Fulham from Tottenham in the summer.

The academy graduate grabbed the opportunity with both hands, racing forward to latch onto Andreas Pereira's smart pass and slot home after only 59 seconds.

And Rodrigo Muniz, with a sensational chipped finish over Jose Sa, also made the most of his rare appearance in Fulham's starting XI.

Silva's decision to start the Brazilian appeared all the more admirable as Jimenez, after coming on in the 72nd minute, missed two big chances in front of goal.

An extra bonus for the Cottagers is that Jimenez, and others, should be fresh and have an extra point to prove when they face Manchester United in Sunday's fifth-round FA Cup tie.

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Marco Silva spoke to TNT Sports after Fulham's victory against Wolves: "The way we started was two quick goals from ourselves and we were solid second half. We scored early in second half and controlled the game in a different way than we normally do, we didn't have much of the ball until the last 15 minutes when we had some chances to kill the game. But they didn't have one chance in the second half, I think we did really well. In some moments we have to win games like we won tonight."

On the two goals: "Great finishing, Ryan Sessegnon has that capacity to arrive in the right moments at the right spot and to be there. A great finish for him. You can see many moments from the training ground.

"What a goal from Rodrigo, amazing game. He is in a very good moment, great moments from him and Raul [Jimenez], it's hard for me to decide."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Wolves' performance

What did you make of Fulham's display?

Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

Four matches make up Tuesday's Premier League action and we will bring you every moment.

• Brighton v Bournemouth

• Crystal Palace v Aston Villa

• Wolves v Fulham

• Chelsea v Southampton (20:15)

All kick-off times 19:30 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

Drew Heatley
Fan writer

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We have a lot more in common with Crystal Palace than many Fulham fans care to admit.

In the wake of our defeat on Saturday, more than a few shots were fired at Palace for 'coasting' in the Premier League.

The Eagles are in their 11th consecutive top flight season, during which they have finished no higher than 10th, but finished no lower than 15th.

From 2001 to 2014, we enjoyed 13 Premier League campaigns in a row, then spent the best part of a decade trying to get back to that level of consistency.

But what some people call consistency others call mediocrity - and that is where Fulham fans are divided. Are we targeting the next level, or are we content?

Our January transfer window indicates that the club sits in the latter camp. Bringing 36-year-old Willian in to fill a gap in depth on the wing suggests that we do not expect to be dusting off our passports this summer.

Let's be clear, Fulham do not have the squad depth to compete in Europe next season. If we achieve it, either through our league position or by winning the FA Cup, we will need to spend a lot - and spend wisely - this summer.

We started the campaign with just 24 first-team squad members. You could argue you need double that to sustain challenges domestically and on the continent.

Games like Saturday show how far off we are from the clubs fighting for a place in the top eight. And yet we are safe from any threat of relegation, meaning we will enjoy a fourth straight season of Premier League football. That is something we would have bitten your hand off for in 2022 and something that the majority of Palace fans are content with.

Could mid-table safety be considered dull? Sure. Is it a solid base from which to attempt to reach a higher level? Absolutely.

Fulham must decide which side of that line they sit on.

Find more from Drew Heatley at Fulhamish, external

Matheus Cunha is on fire for Wolves, with four goals in his past four games in all competitions, and his side are now five points clear of the relegation zone with a better goal difference than the teams below them.

They wiped the floor with Fulham at Craven Cottage earlier in the season too, and Cunha scored twice in a 4-1 victory.

It all points towards a Wolves win here too, but I cannot seem to get a Fulham prediction right at the moment so I need to have a proper think about this one.

Because I have been wrong, so often, about Fulham, I am going for the opposite of what I think will happen and back them to win.

Marco Silva's side do actually seem to be better on the road than at home right now, and they beat Newcastle in their last away league game. They didn't click at the weekend against Crystal Palace but they usually have a goal or two in them.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Wolves are unbeaten in their eight Premier League home games against Fulham, winning six. It is the most times they have faced an opponent at Molineux without losing in the competition. Overall, they are without defeat in their past 15 home league games against the Whites, with their last loss in the second tier in April 1985.

Meanwhile, Fulham have won just one of their past nine Premier League games against Wolves, beating them 3-2 at Craven Cottage in November 2023.

Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Premier League game at Wolves (kick-off 19:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emile Smith Rowe could be available but will be assessed again after Monday's training session.

• Tom Cairney will also be a late decision as his niggle "is something that can be quickly recovered or it can take a little bit more than one or two days".

• On the home defeat by Crystal Palace and bouncing back: "When you have that type of game where you don't perform at the level you wanted, the best way is to play a quick game again."

• He said Tuesday is a "tough game away from home", but he hopes they can "react" to the previous defeat and return to making "life difficult against any side in any stadium in the country".

• On the threat of Matheus Cunha: "It is not fair [to only talk about him], but we have to be realistic as well. He's a player who in any moment of the game can be decisive, can score, can assist."

• Final words on his expectations: "We know that if we are at our best level then we are able to do it and able to control well the Wolves team. When we are able to do it, punish with our quality."

Follow all of Monday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Fulham and Crystal Palace.

Here are some of your comments:

Fulham fans

Will: Probably the worst performance of the season - just after one of our best. This lack of consistency is going to get us nowhere. We need to be better for Wolves.

PJ: Shockingly poor. Hard to imagine it was the same starting XI as played against Nottingham Forest as we were utterly bereft of ideas. Too ponderous and predictable. Palace completely dominated in every sense but especially tactically. Marco Silva is far too slow to identify when our tactics are not working. It needed changing after 20, not 80 minutes. When will our players realise that trying to complete 95 passes in an attempt to score is futile?

John: We were so poor that I struggle to remember a single purposeful attempt at scoring. Palace outplayed and outclassed us completely. Too many failing to put in a shift. Too many big price tags? Many Fulham fans must have thought we were going somewhere at last. The upcoming games are ominous: Wolves (who've thrashed us already); Manchester United in the cup, Brighton, Tottenham and Arsenal.

Andrew: As good as Fulham were last week, they were dreadful here. No answer to Palace's pressing and nobody willing to shoot.

Palace fans

Gary: Another great away day. Eberechi Eze was more like his old self. Great goal by Daniel Munoz - and by Jean-Philippe Mateta. Such a shame it was just offside. Every player was fantastic. We need to start winning at home, starting against Aston Villa on Tuesday.

Steve: I thought this was our best performance of the season. Not sure what Oliver Glasner is putting in Will Hughes's coffee but what a season he is having - man of the match for me.

Roger: A convincing victory. The result was never in doubt. Huge contrast to the home game against Fulham earlier in the season. This squad are capable of a strong finish to the season.

Jackb: Probably one of best performances of the season. Everyone on the pitch was great. I'm loving our away form. We just need to really click at home now and who knows what can happen this season?

Chris Latchem
Final Score reporter

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Fulham never really got going on Saturday. It was a rare sloppy show, their fans will hope just a blip.

One reason could have been they did not find a way for Adama Traore to fire up the afterburners. There are few more exciting sights than him at full throttle. He can frighten even the very best full-backs.

However, Traore consistently slowed the ball down, turning inside and searching for Emile Smith Rowe and Raul Jimenez.

He is at his best when he seeks to skin a defender and drill the ball in - as he did to set up Smith Rowe's opener in the win over Nottingham Forest the previous weekend.

I would not be too concerned with the defeat, even one as flat as Saturday.

But for Fulham to get back on the European trail, they could do with utilising Traore's USP.

Get him out wide scaring the defenders and leave the middle of the field to those better suited.

Highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from Friday's game between Leicester and Brentford.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Arsenal 0-1 West Ham

• Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

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It was a day to forget for Fulham as they fell to a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

It comes as a huge blow for Marco Silva's side, who had the chance go one point behind sixth-placed Bournemouth in their bid to secure a place in Europe next season.

"Certain standards that should be in our game were not there," said Silva after a game that saw them fail to register a single shot on target.

It was the first time since a 2-0 defeat by Newcastle United in May 2021 that the Cottagers had failed to have a shot on target in a league fixture.

Apart from inciting a half-hearted penalty appeal after doing down under a challenge from Maxence Lacroix in the second half, Raul Jimenez, Fulham's top scorer with nine goals this season, was largely on the periphery.

Alex Iwobi and Adama Traore were also kept quiet on the wings by a brilliant Palace defence while injuries to Emile Smith Rowe and substitute Tom Cairney will compound Silva's woes as they enter a crucial period of the season.

Silva's side will need to bounce back quickly when they travel to Wolves on Tuesday, if they are keep their hunt for a place in the Champions League alive.