'We Did Not Get The Points We Deserved' - Silva Reflects On Fulham's Missed Chances Against Manchester United

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Marco Silva expressed his disappointment as Fulham fell to a 1-0 defeat against Manchester United in their Premier League opener. Despite looking dangerous on the counter-attack, Fulham lacked precision in the final third and missed several opportunities to score.

Fulham's goalkeeper, Bernd Leno, made crucial saves in both halves to keep the team in contention. However, United's debutant Joshua Zirkzee scored the decisive goal in the 87th minute. Silva acknowledged some positives from the performance but was ultimately frustrated by the missed chances that led to their loss.

"It is really tough for us to lose this game the way we lost," Silva told Sky Sports. "We started really well. I think the first two dangerous moments were from ourselves. The first one we should have scored, a really dangerous attack from us."

Silva highlighted that Fulham had several opportunities to punish Manchester United but failed to capitalise on them. "When you play against Manchester United...there were moments, and we had to punish them. We had so many moments, and we were punished at the end of the game," he said.

The match saw Fulham take 10 shots, but only two tested United's goalkeeper Andre Onana. Kenny Tete forced a good save in the first half, while Andreas Pereira squandered two breakaway chances with poor passes.

Emotional Control and Tactical Adjustments

Silva emphasised the need for better emotional control during high-stakes games. "We have to keep the emotional control in these types of games," he noted. He also pointed out that maintaining balance and emotional control is crucial when facing strong teams like Manchester United.

"Of course, when you have two against one you should at least finalise the action and put your teammates in the right action," Silva added. "But it was not just that one; we had other really good moments and should have scored."

Challenges and Positives

The summer was challenging for Fulham as they lost five players, including four starters. Despite these setbacks, Silva believes his squad is capable of performing well. "It was a tough summer when you lose five players - four of them starting players. But I knew the players were good enough to play in this way," he stated.

Silva concluded by acknowledging that while there were positive aspects to their performance, missing key chances ultimately cost them points they deserved.