Fulham star reveals ‘clever’ thing Newcastle United did after Marco Silva complaints

Tom Cairney believes Newcastle United employed ‘clever’ tactics to slow the game down in their favour at Craven Cottage on Saturday afternoon. The Magpies were put under the cosh by Fulham throughout the first-half, but were able to regroup when Martin Dubravka needed treatment from the physios - forcing the game to be halted.

Speaking to the club’s website after the game, Cairney described his feelings on that incident during a ‘horrible defeat’ for his side: “They seem to be a bit of a bogey team, to be honest. 

“I thought we played some very, very good football first half and we’ve got to score when we’re on top in this league, otherwise we get punished. At the Cottage, we’ve played very well all season. I feel like we’ve performed well, I feel like if you go in leading the game at half-time, you’ve got a big chance to win the game and make it more comfortable. It was a horrible 1-0 defeat.

“We started well. We wanted a reaction. They were quite clever with the keeper going down I think – giving them little breathers and tactics. They did it a couple of times in the first half, using their experience, trying to delay the game. It kind of worked – and we just couldn’t get the goal.

“I feel like we’ve got to control the game a bit more at the end of the second half. It was a bit like basketball and I felt like that suits their players a bit more, suits the pace they’ve got up front. It was a bit all over the place in the last ten or fifteen minutes.”

Cairney’s thoughts on that incident were echoed by his manager after the game, who described it as a ‘tactical’ call from the Magpies. Silva said: “Some moments Newcastle tried to break our momentum with the goalkeeper twice and players on the grass.

“They were struggling in some moments of the first-half. Yes, it was tactical. The first one is clear. They gave feedback for the goalkeeper to go down. When the goalkeeper is down the referee has to start the game, no way for the game to keep going. It was a tactical decision from them.”