‘We were not ruthless’: Marco Silva regrets ‘huge chance’ £20 million Fulham player missed against Liverpool last night.

Fulham manager Marco Silva expressed disappointment over Joao Palhinha’s early missed chance as Fulham narrowly missed advancing to the Carabao Cup Final against Liverpool. Despite Issa Diop equalizing Luis Diaz’s early goal, Fulham couldn’t secure a late winner, leaving Silva frustrated.

The Portuguese manager, speaking after the heartbreaking 3-2 aggregate defeat to the Premier League leaders, acknowledged the challenging task against Liverpool’s formidable lineup.

He tried a few too many killer passes but still put in some phenomenal tackles and escaped difficult situations well.

Palhinha may not be the most natural choice for a key chance to fall to, but Silva clearly planned for the Portuguese to be the key man for his set pieces against Liverpool.

The team need to lift their spirits for their FA Cup match against Newcastle on Saturday evening.

Defeat in that match practically ends the season for the Whites unless they drop into a relegation battle.

Silva highlighted the difficulty of facing Liverpool, even without key players like Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Reds dominated possession, making it tough for Fulham to play out from the back. Despite this, Fulham had an opportunity early on when Joao Palhinha missed a free volley from a corner, a planned set-piece routine that could have resulted in the opening goal.

Reflecting on the match, Silva stated, “We were not able to keep possession as we normally do, losing many balls in our attack or counter-attack moments. However, the first significant chance was for ourselves.” He emphasized the importance of being clinical against top teams and expressed frustration over Palhinha’s miss, noting that it could have changed the game significantly.

Silva acknowledged that Fulham was not ruthless or clinical in that crucial moment, and Luis Diaz’s deflected strike capitalized on the missed opportunity. Despite Palhinha not having his best game, Silva highlighted the significance of converting chances, recognizing that against top teams, such opportunities cannot be squandered.