With a packed fixture list on the horizon, Fulham coach Marco Silva spoke to the press ahead of our away fixture with Reading on Tuesday evening.
The Whites travel to the Select Car Leasing Stadium off the back of a 1-0 FA Cup win over Bristol City but attention will return to league action for the first time since the 20th December, with Marco’s men having games in hand over the teams above them in the table.
“We don’t like to go into a match and look to the table, we can do that in the last two or three games of the season. We have to look at the next one as the most important game of the season.
“The next one is against Reading, and then the one after is against Bristol [City], and then after is against Birmingham. Nothing changes in ourselves. We will go there [Reading] to compete and to do our best and win the game.”
The Royals suffered a shock defeat in the FA Cup to National League North side Kidderminster Harriers at the weekend, a result that Marco believes indicates the unpredictability of football and one that proves why his side will not take anything for granted against a struggling Reading team.
“We have to be ready for everything, look for ourselves, demand the maximum from ourselves, have a maximum desire towards the game and if of course, we are at our best level, then it will be difficult for them.”
Marco also shared how he and his side were able to spend time reflecting and regrouping throughout the long, forced, lay-off period after some disappointing results.
“Every week you are more with your players, you learn more from them, you understand better the situation as well. It was a tough time for us but at the same time, it was a time for us to have some different conversations about different things.
“At the same time, we tried to create some more competition because we didn’t have that competition feeling that we need every week. I analysed that they [the players] are ready to work, even without competition.
“They didn’t lose focus in the training sessions. They showed a desire to come in every single day to work and that was good. The work we did will give us a good platform for us to compete from tomorrow, for Saturday and for the rest of the season.”