Fullham coach gives Reggae Boy high marks

LONDON, England (CMC):

FULHAM MANAGER Marco Silva has praised the impact of Reggae Boy Bobby Reid off the bench after the London club beat Everton 1-0 in their opening game of the English Premier League season last weekend.

A half-time substitute, Reid eventually scored in the winner in the 73rd minute after being set up by former Manchester United star, Andreas Pereira, who was a 58th-minute substitute.

Pereira was part of a double change nearing the hour-mark, Serbia international Aleksandar Mitrović, also entering the game to help Fulham to the points at Goodison Park.

“Great impact from the players that came from the bench – Bobby, Mitro, and Andreas,” Silva said afterwards.

“It was nice to see them involved in the goal we scored, a great moment from ourselves, open play moment that combined down our right side and with Bobby on the opposite side.

“It was probably our best moment during the match. But second half, I have to say, was much more balanced.”

He continued: “We hit the post as well, like Everton hit the crossbar. We had more chances in the second than the first, but in terms of our compactness, in terms of defensive organisation, it was not really good, not even 50 per cent what it should be.”

Fulham were forced to ride their luck in the first half, German goalkeeper Bernd Leno pulling off a string of key saves as Everton wasted a handful of chances in the first half.

It meant that the visitors managed to reach the break without conceding before Silva’s changes in the second half changed the outcome.

“That was not a good performance from ourselves at all. I think overall during the game, we didn’t perform at our level,” he said.

“Even if we started the game well, after the first 15-20 minutes we started to lose so many balls in our build-up, in certain areas. We gave so many chances for Everton to punish us in counter-attacks.

“They had their chances, of course, a good number of chances during the first half because we gave them so many moments for them to punish us.

“To be honest, it was much more our fault because we didn’t perform. Bernd kept us in the game. A great, great performance from Bernd Leno kept us in the game in certain moments when we were under pressure.

“We changed some things at half-time; second half was slightly different.”

Reid joined Fulham on a permanent deal three and a half years ago and was part of the side that tasted relegation from the Premier League in 2021.

He scored eight goals in the Championship the following season as Fulham bounced straight back up.