Fulham captain Tom Cairney has shared what manager Marco Silva told the squad before their victory over Wolves on Monday evening.
Cairney was speaking to The Fulham Fix immediately after a vital 3-2 victory at Craven Cottage.
The 32-year-old was sensational as he returned to the starting line-up partly as a result of Joao Palhinha’s suspension.
Harrison Reed dropped into the deepest midfield role, while Alex Iwobi was switched to the wing to accommodate Cairney in the playmaker role alongside Andreas Pereira.
Fulham went into the match as one of the most out-of-form teams in the Premier League.
Their defeat to Aston Villa before the international break was worrying, to say the least with Unai Emery’s surprising Champions League contenders running the show.
Cairney has now shared the message Marco Silva shared with the team ahead of their clash against Wolves.
A defeat would have seen Fulham well and truly dragged into the relegation conversation.
However, Fulham’s win now means they’re 10 points clear of the bottom three, although a wounded Everton are unlikely to stay in the relegation zone for long.
Cairney shares Silva message ahead of Wolves clash
Asked what the Portuguese manager said to the squad before the match, Cairney said: “He told us to relax obviously and don’t worry about it. He said if you win tonight you go one point behind tenth.
“So, he said that’s how tight it is and how competitive it is this season. But at the same time, we haven’t enjoyed the international break because of our previous month.
“So, you could tell there was a hunger in the team and the squad to get a result tonight.”
His message worked initially, with Fulham taking the lead within the first 10 minutes through Alex Iwobi.
It was a well-worked move between the Nigerian international, Antonee Robinson and Willian although Fulham’s performance dropped off approaching half-time.
Silva would have likely emphasized the same message to Cairney and co at the break after Wolves equalised through Matheus Cunha.
The second half was much more positive which is a trend we’ve seen all too often from Fulham.
It was a pair of contentious penalties that ultimately decided the game with Willian expertly converting both.
The Brazilian now has one of the best penalty records in Premier League history, with only three players boasting a better 100% record.
After the woes of watching Aleksandar Mitrovic break the record for the most penalties missed last season, it’s a welcome relief that Fulham now have someone more reliable from the spot.