Friday Fulham Stuff - 19/12/25...

[WhiteJC]

Marco Silva gutted after what happened at St James' Park 'A difficult one to take'
Marco Silva watched on as his Fulham side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

Eddie Howe and Newcastle United progressing to a semi-final in the competition for a third time in four seasons.

The Fulham boss gutted with what happened at St James' Park, Marco Silva declaring; "A difficult one to take."

Less than two months ago, Newcastle won 2-1 in the Premier League against Fulham at SJP. An early first half NUFC goal (by Murphy) cancelled out by a Lukic equaliser, only for Bruno to get the winner.

This time an early lead via Yoane Wissa, Lukic equalising, then a 92nd minute winner thanks to Lewis Miley's quality header from Tonali's corner.

Marco Silva not happy at all that history had repeated itself so quickly; "Another one, one and a half months [later], to come here and to lose again in the way we lost, in the last moments of the game, was very difficult for us, in a competition where we wanted to be playing in the semi-finals next month."

To be honest, Marco Silva can't have any complaints about either of these 2-1 defeats at St James' Park, Newcastle United deserving both wins, even if they were via late goals. It was United pushing for the winner each time.

Marco Silva thought that for Fulham it was; "Better first half, performance wise, for us than the second. We matched clearly the game first half, some moments Newcastle were more dominant, other moments with ourselves much more in control of the ball. Newcastle had one or two good moments as well first half, but I believe that first half, we played in a way that we wanted to play."

Even though Newcastle took the lead, it was Fulham who had started well, when they equalised only six minutes after Wissa's tenth minute opener, you couldn't really complain.

However, I think that the respective starts of the two teams were a lot to do with Eddie Howe making six of ten outfield changes, some forced, some not.

With some players who hadn't made many starts, others like Miley asked to play in a different position (right-back). For me, by about halfway through the first half, Newcastle had become the more dominant side and the stats (see below) back that up.

Newcastle were no where near their best but did ok and Fulham were timewasting from very early on, something hat just got worse and worse as match progressed. The useless referee doing next to nothing to deal with it and that on top of a series of decisions going against the home side, led to much frustration amongst both Newcastle fans and players.

Marco Silva at least admitting that Newcastle were the more dominant team after the break; "The second half was more difficult, it was more difficult to set our game, we also defended too deep in some moments. But apart from the save before the corner [that Lewis Miley scored from] and one or two crosses, they didn't have many chances. That is the thing, they didn't create. Newcastle much more in control, much more playing in our last third, but not with the chances."

With Fulham defending so deep and in large numbers, it was tough for Newcastle to break them down, though Bruno Guimaraes outstanding as he tried to lift United into the last four of the competition.

Marco Silva conceding that Newcastle United had made it very difficult for Fulham to get into the final third for much of the game and apart from the goal, the visitors only had two other efforts on target; "We were not able to set the game, to play and to create our offensive organisation the way that we like to play. Our counter attacks, our fast attacks, they didn't work really..."

With Newcastle in the ascendancy it only encouraged Fulham to waste time even more, as they tried to cling on for penalties. Marco Silva seeing it this way; "We had one or two good moments but not great chances second half really, not very dangerous moments."

The Fulham manager though still gutted at how Newcastle United won the match; "Even so, the way we lost the game from a set-piece in the last moments of the game...it is a very, very difficult one to take."

Eddie Howe and his players simply wanted it more and were pushing more and more for the winner, as the visitors simply tried to get to that penalty shootout.

As well as Newcastle having 61% possession and 16 v 6 on shots, maybe the most telling statistic showing how the match was played out, is that when it came to players touching the ball in the opposition penalty area, it was 36 v 15 in United's favour.

Eddie Howe and his players deserved this victory, no matter when that winning goal arrived.

Newcastle 2 Fulham 1 – Wednesday 17 December 2025 8.15pm

Match Stats

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Wissa 10,  Miley 90+2

Fulham:

Lukic 16

Possession was Newcastle 61% Fulham 39%

Total shots were Newcastle 14 Fulham 6

Shots on target were Newcastle 6 Fulham 3

Corners were Newcastle 5 Fulham 5

Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 36 Fulham 15

Newcastle team v Fulham:

Ramsdale, Livramento (Alex Murphy 76), Thiaw, Schar, Ramsey, Willock (Tonali 72), Miley, Bruno, Jacob Murphy(Elanga 85), Barnes (Gordon 85), Wissa (Woltemade 72)

Unused subs:

Ruddy, Joelinton, Shahar, Neave



https://www.themag.co.uk/2025/12/marco-silva-gutted-after-what-happened-at-st-james-park-a-difficult-one-to-take-newcastle-2-fulham-1-newcastle-united/

[WhiteJC]

Marco Silva admits déjà vu at St. James' Park is a 'difficult one to take'
The Fulham head coach commented on another close fought defeat in Tyneside.

Marco Silvaspoke about a 2-1 defeat for Fulham against Newcastle United.

The Cottagers crashed out of the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup after another late loss at St. James' Park, conceding an injury time strike from Lewis Mileyat a set-piece. Bruno Guimaraes got a similarly dramatic winner in the Premier League in October, leaving Silva's side frustrated.

"A difficult one to take. Another one, after one month and a half/two months, to come here to lose again in the way we lost, in the last moments of the game, was very difficult for us, in a competition that we wanted to be playing in the Semi-Finals next month.

"Better first half, performance wise, for us than the second. First half, even if we concede an early goal, a bit unlucky the way we conceded the first goal, the reaction was good, good goal from ourselves.

"We matched clearly the game first half, some moments Newcastle were more dominant, other moments with ourselves much more in control of the ball. After the goal, we had a very good chance with Kevin to score the second goal.

"Newcastle had one or two good moments as well first half, but I believe that first half we played in a way that we wanted to play.

"Second half more difficult – more difficult to set our game, we defended too deep in some moments.

"Apart from the save before the corner and one or two crosses, they didn't have many [chances]. That is the thing, they didn't create. Much more in control, much more playing in our last third, but not with the chances.

"We were not able to set the game, to play, to create our offensive organisation the way we like to play, and our counter attacks, our fast attacks, they didn't work really.

"We had one or two good moments, but not great chances second half really, not very dangerous moments. Even so, the way we lost the game from a set-piece in the last moments of the game is a very, very difficult one to take."



https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2025/12/18/fulham/1244930-marco-silva-admits-deja-vu-at-st-james-park-is-a-difficult-oneto-take.html

[WhiteJC]

Player Ratings: Newcastle United 2-1 Fulham
The ratings are in for Fulham's league cup defeat at St. James' Park.

It was heartbreak at St. James' Park last night as the Whites crashed out of the Carabao. Here are the ratings.

Benjamin Lecomte

Last time Lecomte appeared in the League Cup we were praising the confidence he exuded in saving penalties against Wycombe. Such confidence wasn't displayed in this one. He didn't seem to want to hold the ball, always deciding to parry, punch or fumble. Unfortunately that meant that he firstly parried the ball into Wissa's path for the opening goal, and then showed no authority for Newcastle's winner, leaving himself in no-mans-land from a dangerous corner. Decent distribution apart, he's done himself no favours here. 4.5/10

Kenny Tete

Thought Tete looked like he struggled to be honest. Normally he thrives in one-on-one scenarios but the way Newcastle set up managed to expose Tete in ways others often don't. Having Livramento coming from an inverted position to overlapping round Barnes who would frequently mix up his runs around Tete caused our Dutchman to look unsure on many times whether to commit to a tackle or stand-off. Bar a decent strike in the final seconds which flew over the bar, it was an uneventful evening for him. 5.5/10

Joachim Andersen

Instrumental in the first half in a lot of what we did, I thought. Frequently tiptoed into the Newcastle half to drop balls over the top of their makeshift right back Miley, which Robinson got loads of joy running on to, including for our goal. His five aerials won and 11 clearances show proof that when the ball came the other way, he was getting his head to everything. Still have those worries over leadership at the back though, he seems to turn it off as a trait when it's needed most by the team, which isn't good for a team underperforming defensively and when he's about to undergo a run of games next to a new central defensive partner. 6.5/10

Jorge Cuenca

As expected really when Cuenca comes in, relatively faultless, just this time he'll have a far better chance of retaining his spot in the side with Bassey's trip to AFCON. He seems to have that special Spanish gene of scanning and reading a game to perfection. So often he seemed to snap out a cross or pass between at the very last minute to prevent danger, his 12 clearances was more than anyone out there and proved that to a tee. Lovely player on the ball too, as we know. 7/10

Antonee Robinson

Not anything special but definitely a step up from a fairly worrying performance at Turf Moor. Granted, he's coming back from a long spell on the sidelines. Physically he looked far more able to get up and down the pitch and show a turn of recovery pace when chasing back towards his own goal. Lovely cross to assist Lukic and got into those same positions over and over again in the first half especially. 6.5/10

Sander Berge

First half I saw a marked improvement in some of the stuff I've felt frustrated with regarding Berge's game. I've moaned that for someone with his stature with his engine he should be far more involved in the gritty side of the game and trying to regain possession more. In the first half he was phenomenal in those aspects but faded in the second half as we sat off and were more passive in all ways. 6.5/10

Sasa Lukic

Really hope that he came off as a precaution at half time, we really don't need any big injuries while three key players are away in Africa. Scored a beautiful header to equalise, timing his run to perfection. Got into some nice pockets of space without really receiving the ball often enough to impact the game more. Matched Berge's energy well in that first 45 too. 7/10

Harry Wilson

Considering his good run of form, didn't think he managed to influence this game enough. Tried copying a corner a few times that worked against Burnley but will never work again against competent defenders. In fairness, made a lot of good runs that weren't found which was frustrating. Backed up Tete well at the other end of the pitch as he often does. 6/10

Emile Smith Rowe

Just like in the game against Crystal Palace, you felt we lost so much impetus when ESR came off. We lost our main press conference at one end while also losing the ability to hold onto the ball around the centre circle were we to ever pull off a decent attack late on. Had one decent strike 66 minutes in force Ramsdale into a comfortable save but it was his energy on and off the ball for 73 minutes that was most impressive, he's recognising his importance to the team at the moment. 7/10 – man of the match

Kevin

I maintain that Kevin is one of those players that, once he scores once, he'll absolutely fly. There's so many constant positive signs every time he plays in the ways he can battle physically, has a stunning first touch, tries the occasional trick and goes beyond defenders into superb positions. It's just the final decision or touch which is now visibly starting to frustrate him as much as anyone else when they don't come off, which is almost every time he's in the final third. 5.5/10

Raul Jimenez

Lots of nice little touches, battled well in the air, never stopped trying. Nine weeks out of ten at the moment all you can do is praise Raul's attitude and effort but he's being absolutely run into the ground and it's effecting his ability to frequently get into the box or throw himself into pressing or making runs beyond his centre back, and to be honest, that is not his fault. Regardless, he was quite quiet here. 6/10

Substitutes
Harrison Reed

Thought while Harrison lacked a bit of class on the ball that Lukic could have possessed, there was a lot of positives to take from his 45 minutes. He carried Lukic's energy into the second half and flew into tackles, got into positions between the lines and showed really good defensive discipline. Not too much to critique for someone not playing very often at the moment. 6.5/10

Adama Traore and Josh King

Came on for the last 20 in place of Smith Rowe and Kevin and didn't improve us at all. Neither really even tried tracking back, more noticeable in the case of Adama, and King especially failed to control the ball fairly frequently. Hard scenario to come into with how negatively we approached the second half, but still poor cameos from both. 5/10 for both

Jonah Kusi-Asare on in added time so cannot be fairly assessed.

Marco Silva

Truly a game of two halves, but I've come away just feeling so negative. The intensity and approach of the first half that had us level when actually I thought we deserved to lead on the balance of play was thrown away in the second half. So often when a potential shot at a cup final or European spot is on the line, Silva's return to such a negative mentality has failed us and it reared its ugly head for the umpteenth time here. OK, depth is a struggle for the next few weeks - understandable. But the way he set us 20 yards further back as a team for the whole half, trying to get counter attacks going with an ageing striker he's refused to rest and run into the ground, is infuriating. Once again, he has serious questions to answer. Nothing changes with that man. 4/10



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/player-ratings-newcastle-united-2-e59

[WhiteJC]

Five Things We Learnt From Newcastle 2–1 Fulham
Newcastle 2–1 Fulham. Gutting. It felt inevitable. Fulham bow out of the league cup, and seemingly lose any chance of excitement for 25/26. Here's five things we learnt from Newcastle 2–1 Fulham.

Antonee Robinson: Back in Business
A terrific diag from Joachim Andersen preceded a sumptuous Antonee Robinson cross.

After a performance of peaks and truths in Lancashire, Jedi was back in full flow in the North East.

Antonee constant presence overlapping down FFC's left wing gave Fulham a presence from full back that Ryan Sessegnon could, frankly, never give.

As much of a miss Samuel Chukwueze is on our left wing, Antonee Robinson's recent comeback is equally as positive.

Kevin: Fustrating
I said pre game that it was a massive opportunity for Kevin to kick his Fulham career into the next gear at St James' Park. It's safe to say he didn't do that. Kevin looked predictable, and one dimensional last night.

While i've stated time and time again the importance of giving Kev' time, his reliance on the defender making the first move simply won't cut it in the English game.

The talent is unquestionable, at the moment, the 22 year old just doesn't know what to do with his talents.

Can that be learnt? Of course, but players jetting off for AFCON means Fulham need results now.

Maybe we should have thought about that in the summer...

Marco Silva: Questionable Decisions Cost Fulham
Starting Benjamin Lecomte in Fulham's biggest game of the season was a misguided decision.

Did Benji earn a start against Wycombe? Sure, but Fulham's back four didn't look half as confident in Lecomte as they did Leno. You have to be cut throat with your selection at the top level.

If Bernd Leno was in net, do Fulham conceded the two goals they did? I don't think so. That's on Silva.

Persisting with an injured Raul Jimenez is puzzling, too.

Stevie Wonder could see that Raul's legs are shot to pieces, they have been for weeks.

Poor performances can longer be laid at the feet of the player, you have to blame the manager. Jonah Kusi Asare deserves more than a 93rd minute cameo appearance.

Fulham couldn't get out of their half for much of the second half. Why? Well, we had nobody up front to make the ball stick. A top tactician finds a solution to make us dangerous on the break again.

The way Fulham sat deep with an inability to maintain possession is what we have seen from a Silva side under the cosh again and again. It made Newcastle winner feel inevitable.

Set Pieces Bite Fulham Again
Promoting an U18s coach, in Ali Melloul, to be the man to tackle Fulham's set piece issues hasn't worked.

The same near post corner that we saw against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Man United undid Fulham again last night.

While Benjamin Lecomte didn't cover himself in glory, letting Lewis Miley beat Andersen, Berge and co in the air criminal – organisationally and on an individual level.

It's harsh, but Fulham need to replace Melloul, sharpish.

Lukic, Berge & Reed All Postive
Sander Berge is likely in the best vain of form in his Fulham career. Sander was a collusive in the middle of the pitch. He completed all four of his attempted long balls and won all six of his ground duels. Impressive No.6 play.

Sasa Lukic showed just what we want from a No.8, with a late arriving finish into the box. With Iwobi already out, a long term Lukic injury would be a big miss. m

Harrison Reed showed that he was more than capable of stepping to Lukic's shoes in his 22/23 box to box role.

Reed was energetic and undoubtedly committed to the cause. He still has a role in this Fulham team



https://medium.com/@LondonsOriginal/five-things-we-learnt-from-newcastle-2-1-fulham-f74909ee3f29

[WhiteJC]

Fulham increasingly optimistic about Marco Silva agreement
Fulham are reportedly hoping to agree on a new deal with Marco Silva, and they are increasingly confident of an agreement.

According to a report by TEAMtalk, Fulham are increasingly confident of reaching an agreement with their manager Marco Silva. They are hoping to seal the agreement within two weeks.

The Portuguese tactician has done a decent job since taking over at Fulham, and it is no surprise that they want to keep him for the long run. The manager has been linked with multiple clubs, and Fulham must do everything in their power to secure his future.

It remains to be seen whether Silva is prepared to commit his future to the club. The 48-year-old is enjoying his time at the West London club, and they are competing at a reasonably high level. He will not want to abandon the project midway. It is fair to assume that a deal will be agreed eventually.

Fulham must keep their manager
Fulham have put together a competitive team, and they will look to fight for a place in the top half regularly. They need to hold on to their manager and improve the team in the coming weeks. It remains to be seen whether they can sort out the agreement quickly. The Cottagers are eager to get the job done before the year ends.

The fans will be delighted to see that the club is working hard to keep the manager for the long term. They will certainly hope that both parties can come to an agreement quickly. Silva has proven himself with multiple clubs in English football, and there is no doubt that he is the right man to take Fulham forward.

The West London club should back him with funds in the January window so that they can improve the team further. There is no doubt that the Cottagers have a competitive team, but they need more quality if they want to finish in the top half. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops over the next few weeks.

Fulham will be looking to establish themselves as Premier League regulars in the coming seasons, and they will look to fight at a respectable level. The Londoners need to keep their best players and the manager at Craven Cottage if they want to succeed.



https://thehardtackle.com/news/2025/12/18/fulham-increasingly-optimistic-about-marco-silva-agreement/

[WhiteJC]

Keith Hackett: Sandro Tonali should have been sent off vs Fulham as unseen incident analysed
Sandro Tonali was fortunate that VAR was not in operation during the Carabao Cup clash between Newcastle United and Fulham.

That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that his altercation with Harrison Reed should resulted in a red card on Wednesday, 17 December.

Lewis Miley was the hero as Eddie Howe's side beat Fulham 2-1 to advance to the semi-finals of the competition they won last season, with Yoane Wissa also getting on the scoresheet at St James' Park.

In the other quarter-final clash, Man City's Abdukodir Khusanov could have seen red, and another punishable incident appears to have been uncovered after the review of new footage.

Sandro Tonali lands an elbow on Harrison Reed
In the closing stages, the Italian international made contact with Reed's face as the midfielder attempted to run back into the position, and it could have been a key moment had it been spotted.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the incident, the former referee was absolutely adamant that Newcastle's No.8 would have been sent off with the help of VAR.

"Tonali was fortunate that VAR was not in operation. The use of his left arm/elbow, I'm sure, would have resulted in the referee being advised to visit the pitch-side monitor," he said.

"Reviewing the incident, he would have witnessed the illegal movement of the arm/elbow, and that would have resulted in a red card."

Darren England under the spotlight at St James' Park
Darren England got a number of decisions wrong on the night, not least when booking Fabian Schar to rule out one of the Magpies' only remaining defenders from the next round of the competition.

Hackett has criticised England heavily this season, most recently for his role in Lucas Paqueta's sending-off in West Ham's defeat to Liverpool, and a new set of supporters will now be fuming with the official.

Howe, on the other hand, would have been furious with his star midfielder had he received his marching orders in the Carabao Cup, and he may have a word or two with him behind the scenes.



https://www.footballinsider247.com/keith-hackett-sandro-tonali-should-have-been-sent-off-vs-fulham-as-unseen-incident-analysed/

[Bill2]

Marco Silva gutted after what happened at St James' Park 'A difficult one to take'
Marco Silva watched on as his Fulham side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

Eddie Howe and Newcastle United progressing to a semi-final in the competition for a third time in four seasons.

The Fulham boss gutted with what happened at St James' Park, Marco Silva declaring; "A difficult one to take."

Less than two months ago, Newcastle won 2-1 in the Premier League against Fulham at SJP. An early first half NUFC goal (by Murphy) cancelled out by a Lukic equaliser, only for Bruno to get the winner.

This time an early lead via Yoane Wissa, Lukic equalising, then a 92nd minute winner thanks to Lewis Miley's quality header from Tonali's corner.

Marco Silva not happy at all that history had repeated itself so quickly; "Another one, one and a half months [later], to come here and to lose again in the way we lost, in the last moments of the game, was very difficult for us, in a competition where we wanted to be playing in the semi-finals next month."

To be honest, Marco Silva can't have any complaints about either of these 2-1 defeats at St James' Park, Newcastle United deserving both wins, even if they were via late goals. It was United pushing for the winner each time.

Marco Silva thought that for Fulham it was; "Better first half, performance wise, for us than the second. We matched clearly the game first half, some moments Newcastle were more dominant, other moments with ourselves much more in control of the ball. Newcastle had one or two good moments as well first half, but I believe that first half, we played in a way that we wanted to play."

Even though Newcastle took the lead, it was Fulham who had started well, when they equalised only six minutes after Wissa's tenth minute opener, you couldn't really complain.

However, I think that the respective starts of the two teams were a lot to do with Eddie Howe making six of ten outfield changes, some forced, some not.

With some players who hadn't made many starts, others like Miley asked to play in a different position (right-back). For me, by about halfway through the first half, Newcastle had become the more dominant side and the stats (see below) back that up.

Newcastle were no where near their best but did ok and Fulham were timewasting from very early on, something hat just got worse and worse as match progressed. The useless referee doing next to nothing to deal with it and that on top of a series of decisions going against the home side, led to much frustration amongst both Newcastle fans and players.

Marco Silva at least admitting that Newcastle were the more dominant team after the break; "The second half was more difficult, it was more difficult to set our game, we also defended too deep in some moments. But apart from the save before the corner [that Lewis Miley scored from] and one or two crosses, they didn't have many chances. That is the thing, they didn't create. Newcastle much more in control, much more playing in our last third, but not with the chances."

With Fulham defending so deep and in large numbers, it was tough for Newcastle to break them down, though Bruno Guimaraes outstanding as he tried to lift United into the last four of the competition.

Marco Silva conceding that Newcastle United had made it very difficult for Fulham to get into the final third for much of the game and apart from the goal, the visitors only had two other efforts on target; "We were not able to set the game, to play and to create our offensive organisation the way that we like to play. Our counter attacks, our fast attacks, they didn't work really..."

With Newcastle in the ascendancy it only encouraged Fulham to waste time even more, as they tried to cling on for penalties. Marco Silva seeing it this way; "We had one or two good moments but not great chances second half really, not very dangerous moments."

The Fulham manager though still gutted at how Newcastle United won the match; "Even so, the way we lost the game from a set-piece in the last moments of the game...it is a very, very difficult one to take."

Eddie Howe and his players simply wanted it more and were pushing more and more for the winner, as the visitors simply tried to get to that penalty shootout.

As well as Newcastle having 61% possession and 16 v 6 on shots, maybe the most telling statistic showing how the match was played out, is that when it came to players touching the ball in the opposition penalty area, it was 36 v 15 in United's favour.

Eddie Howe and his players deserved this victory, no matter when that winning goal arrived.

Newcastle 2 Fulham 1 – Wednesday 17 December 2025 8.15pm

Match Stats

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Wissa 10,  Miley 90+2

Fulham:

Lukic 16

Possession was Newcastle 61% Fulham 39%

Total shots were Newcastle 14 Fulham 6

Shots on target were Newcastle 6 Fulham 3

Corners were Newcastle 5 Fulham 5

Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 36 Fulham 15

Newcastle team v Fulham:

Ramsdale, Livramento (Alex Murphy 76), Thiaw, Schar, Ramsey, Willock (Tonali 72), Miley, Bruno, Jacob Murphy(Elanga 85), Barnes (Gordon 85), Wissa (Woltemade 72)

Unused subs:

Ruddy, Joelinton, Shahar, Neave



https://www.themag.co.uk/2025/12/marco-silva-gutted-after-what-happened-at-st-james-park-a-difficult-one-to-take-newcastle-2-fulham-1-newcastle-united/

"Miley's quality header". They must be having a laugh, he jumped it skimmed off the top of his head and went in the goal. It could have gone anywhere, as it was it went in. There was no direction on it. He will do the same thing a dozen times this season and not get close. They won by two rather fortunate two goals. Wissa was nowhere near the ball for the first and it palmed onto his foot by the keeper. Not sure he even had to kick and it would have bounced of his foot into the net.