Fulham boss makes ‘naive’ claim following Burnley’s late comeback’

A frustrated Marco Silva slammed the naivety of his Fulham side for letting a two-goal lead slip against Burnley.

Thanks to goals from Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Muniz in the first half, the Cottagers appeared to be coasting to their first victory at Turf Moor in 73 years.

However, Burnley responded twice through David Fofana, a substitute, in the second half to earn a 2-2 draw; the equaliser came deep into stoppage time.

“It’s a really difficult one to take,” Silva said. “Unfortunately for us this is not the first time this has happened.

Our performance was excellent up to the 2-1 loss. We were expecting much more than a 2-1 victory because of the way we dominated the game, how we led 2-0, and how everyone felt that we were winning 3-0.

“We had plenty of opportunities, but the first goal we gave up naturally gave them confidence and the crowd support as well.

“The second goal is unachievable at the level we are playing at; we are being foolish at the time, and it costs us.

We are still very fresh on the pitch at that precise moment, so it isn’t tiredness. These things do not necessarily indicate freshness. Because you could get punished, it’s important to stay focused and not naive at times.

“We were playing a very good game and leading the score until it went 2-1, but these are the details that are really hurting us this season and preventing us from being in a better position in the table.”